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THE LOST LINE 

Norvell 



Romance of The Year 

2023 




DEAR BROTHER PASTOR OF ANY PRO- 
TESTANT CHURCH TO WHOM THESE 
GREETINGS MAY COME: 

fl Do you know of "The Protestant" a high class mag- 
azine edited and published by Judge Gilbert O. 
Nations, Ph. D., Professor of Canon Law in the great 
Methodist University, Washington, D. C? 

^ The Protestant easily takes its place among magazines 
that are in the front ranks of periodicals that are mould- 
ing the thought of Americans. It is clean and fair, free 
from anything that suggests "Ranting;" but it is fearless 
and up to the minute with information of the movement 
of that sleepless foe of human liberty whose seat is on 
the Tiber. Single copies alone worth the subscription 
It would seem that no movement can be made by the 
Pope and his emisaries but lo, The Protestant has it in 
black and white that its readers may know where and 
how the foe is going to strike at the foundations of 
human freedom. 

^ It is published monthly at the nominal price of One 
Dollar a year. Trial subscriptions 25c for three months, 
24 for $5.00. "Give your friends a trial." 

ADDRESS THE PROTESTANT, 639 F. ST. 
N. W., WASHINGTON, D. C. 



JT5 

mi 



THE LOST LINE 



BY 



JOSEPH E. NORVELL 



AUTHOR OF 



The Malady and the Necessary Steps to Recovery, The 
Lost Guide, Jack of Deer Creek, etc., etc. 



PRICE 75c POST PAID 
Order from Author, Mitchell, S. D. 



They have set up kings but not by me; they have made 
princes but I knew it not; of their silver and gold have 
they made them idols, that they might be cut off. — "Bible. 



^^ 



\-\^'^ 



\\^ 



Copyrighted 1922 
by JOSEPH E. NORVELL 



NOl/28 72 

iCUG89871 



«Vkfi 1 



DEDICATION 

To the Memory of my precious mother, who by a mighty 
faith in God against great odds, triumphed, winning a 
victor's crown; Born in 1822 on the frontier in Missouri, 
torch-bearer for the King in the wilderness of Southwestern 
Iowa in 1852, translated to the fair city of God in 1897, this 
volume is dedicated by, 

THE AUTHOR. 



THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE 

If some gentle peace loving folk should ask in genuine 
alarm, "Why such a book as, The Lost Line', at a time 
when everything seems so favorable? 

"Denominational lines are breaking down, and religious 
intolerance is so rapidly disappearing that Catholicism and 
Protestantism even, are forgetting their ancient feud, and 
all Christians seem to be getting ready to march under one 
banner against the common foe." 

We would answer their question by asking, "would the 
watchman placed at the divine command on the wall of an 
ancient city of the Israelites been guiltless, if, when he saw 
the sword coming, he had failed to sound the warning? 

"Should that lover of humanity who sees the founda- 
tions of a great dam giving way forbear to fly on flleet-footed 
steed down the valley, where thousands peacefully sleep in 
the pathway of the on coming flood, to arouse them from 
slumber crying, To the Hills! To the Hills! The dam has 
broken; the flood is coming! Fly for your lives!!'" 

Shall we be silent then in the face of impending doom? 
Be silent while Protestantism through neglect of that truth 
which gave her birth, and made her great, barters away her 
birthright? Be silent while a foreign potentate and the 
hierarchy deliberately plan to make this country Catholic, 
undermine our free institutions and rob us of our liberty ? 

For valuable data, and for invaluable suggestions and 
counsel, and for help in various ways, the author of "THE 
LOST LINE", is forever indebted to his friend Arthur Lee 
Taylor, PH. D. of Columbus, N. M. 

Joseph E. Norvell, 
May 17, 1920. Esmond, S. D. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

CHAPTER ONE— A Meal in the Desert. 7 

CHAPTER TWO— A Dream Manuscript. 16 

CHAPTER THREE— The Builders. 29 

CHAPTER FOUR— The Man From Washington. 42 

CHAPTER FIVE— The Lover^s Arrow. 53 

CHAPTER SIX— The Challenge. " 62 

CHAPTER SEVEN— The Encyclical. 73 

CHAPTER EIGHT— Love's Choice. 83 

CHAPTER NINE— The Pursuit. 94 

CHAPTER TEN— The State Convention. 103 

CHAPTER ELEVEN— The Heart of a Peon. 113 

CHAPTER TWELVE— The Battle of The Scribes. 123 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN— Papal Political Plotting. 136 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN— Midnight. 148 



THE LOST LINE 

CHAPTER I. 
A MEAL IN THE DESERT. 

On the morning of the twenty-fifth of September 1910, a 
party of travelers from Old Mexico stopped at a water-hok 
in that mysterious and fascinating portion of our country, 
the Great Southwest. This hole is famous for the part it 
played in the early days of the white man in that region. 
Whatever else a man has, or does not have in the desert, he 
must have water. Lands, gold and precious stones are valu- 
able things for which a man will go far and suffer much; 
but out under the scorching heat of the desert sun, his tongue 
swelling, eyes blood shot, and every fiber of his being calling 
for the moisture it craves, man will brook no barriers to 
water! 

For access to this "fountain of life^', fierce battles were 
fought in those days when might ruled. Almost every tre« 
and rock in it's vicinity marks the spot where the career of 
some brave contestant, white man or Indian, suddenly canae 
to a tragic end. 

The company making camp there that September morn, 
was headed by Antonio Gutirez, a Mexican gentleman of 
noble bearing and benevolent face. Associated with him was 
Pedro Zamora, an Indian in whose veins flowed just enough 
Spanish blood to soften a bit his rugged features. 

Everything about the camp indicated wealth and refine- 
ment. Several tents of generous size stood under the friendly 
shade of great spreading trees. A group of servants looked 
after the wants of the pack ponies and saddle horses, while 
others were busy about a crackling fire where the midday 
meal was being prepared. 

While the camp was astir with preparations, Senor 
Gutirez and his companion strolled leisurely about the famous 



8 THE LOST LINE 

spot noting its environs, the rock formations, and now and 
again stopping to gaze out over the vast stretch of desert to 
the eastward, the spur of the moutain range on which the 
water-hole was located, affording them a fine view. 

Suddenly the Indian drew himself up to his full height, 
and pointing far out over the desert to the North-east with 
his bony index finger, exclaimed, "Hombre, Senor!" 

The other man quickly adjusted a pair of powerful 
glasses to his eyes and after scanning the desert for a time 
responded : 

"Yes, Zamora, and he is in distress. His pack pony is 
evidently giving out, for he has fallen in behind it and is 
making a despera+e effort to reach the water here.*' 

"Si, Senor!" responded the Indian, as though he too, had 
reached the same conclusion. 

A call from a servant at this time indicated the tents 
were ready that the men might bathe and have a short 
siesta before the meal was served. 

"No, Mino" responded the master, "A man is struggling 
out yonder in the desert and if he does not get on well, Senor 
Zamora and myself will want our horses to go to his assist- 
ance. And will you tell Paz to make preparation for him; 
for he will be my guest today?'* 

"Si, Senor,*' came the response from the faithful servant 
in a tone which indicated complete devotion to his master. 

Some eight miles out on the desert, where the heat was 
almost unbearable, a man of about thirty years of age, tall, 
well proportioned, with the bearing of an athlete, was mak- 
ing the fight of his life. 

His mount was a splendid chestnut sorrel, whose clean 
strong limbs and lithe body bespoke generations of breed- 
ing for speed and endurance; but, as the two men watch- 
ing from the water-hole had surmised, the young man was in 
dire distress. He had broken camp at three o'clock that 
morning, and all had gone well until sun-up; then the pack 
pony began to show signs of distress; since that time his 
g'ait had been growing slower and slower, until now he was 
just able to stagger along. 

The oppressive silence that broods over the desert like 



THE LOST LINE . 9 

a menacing presence was broken only by the crunching of 
the horses feet in the sand, the labored breathing of the 
cayuse, and the restless champing of the bits by the chest- 
nut saddle horse who chafed under the restraint. 

Great spirals of yellow dust rose many feet in the air 
and went slowly swirling past the lone rider like lost hopes 
mocking the one in whose breast hope is dead. High over- 
head a vulture strong of wing and keen of scent, was describ- 
ing great circles in search of a "lead^^ that would bring her 
to her coveted dinner. Just a little way back in the grease- 
wood and cactus a hungry coyote skulked, as if in anticipation 
of what was coming. 

The lone rider was at his wits end. Long since, he had 
transferred the pack from the back of the pony to his own 
horse v/here with difficulty it was carried. The last water 
from the desert water bag had been given to the struggling 
animal with the hope that its strength might be kept up till 
shade and an abundance of water were reached where its life 
might be saved. 

As he was casting about in his mind trying to think of 
something more he could do than he had done, the cayuse 
stopped, sv^ayed an instant and then fell broadside on the hot 
sand. Springing lightly from thrj saddle the young man 
endeavored to assist his faithful animal in any way he might, 
but it was useless; for the pony was dead almost as soon as 
it touched the ground. Now it was to be a race with death 
to the water-hole; for thirst, desert thirst, was beginning to 
tell on the merciful master and his mount. 

Taking the pack from the back of the Chestnut, he 
unrolled it and removed every article that was not absolutely 
essential to his own safety and that of his horse. Then he 
fastened the lightened roll to his saddle, remounted, and in a 
little more than an hour was at the v/ater-hole. 

Senor Gutirez and the Indian had gone out on the trail 
a little way to meet the approaching traveler. 

"Good morning, mio amico", cheerily called the white 
man. "That was a brave fight you made out there; I was 
watching you through my glasses and had I not seen that 
you were coming out all right we would have gone to your 



10 THE LOST LINE 

assistance. I am Antonio Gutirez of Mexico City, and this 
is my friend Senor Zamora. You are to be my guest to day, 
Senor, and right welcome you are to all that I have." 

Weak from heat and from thirst the young man dis- 
mounted with difficulty but he cordially shook the hands of 
his new-made friends. 

"I am Charles George Winthrop," he said, "late of 
Highland City; but I am now on my way to Black Diamond 
where I have been appointed pastor of the Methodist church. 
It certainly is very kind of you, Senor, to offer me the 
hospitality of your camp.'' 

They had now reached the edge of the camp and no 
storm-tossed mariner ever experienced' a keener joy on 
reaching port, than the young man felt on reaching this 
place of shelter. The air was filled with the aroma of coffee, 
the savory odors of roasting meats and chilli con came; 
while the camp rang v/ith the laughter and song of happy 
servants busy at their tasks. Then Senor Gutirez taking the 
reins of his guest's horse called to a servant: 

"Here, Pancho,, take the Senor's horse; and look well to 
him now, for he is very hot and tired." 

"Si, Senor," responded the man, "I fix heem". And he 
led the horse away to receive the treatment that only a son 
of the desert knows how to give. 

"But you, Senor Winthrop, are nearly exhausted with 
the long ride and your fearful strain out there in that ter- 
rific heat:" said Gutirez, as he led him to one of the tents. 
"This (tent is at your disposal. In it you will find water, 
tov/els, and brushes, and when you are refreshed suffciently 
our midday meal will be served. I need not warn you to 
drink but little water until you are somewhat cooled." 

When they were seated at the itable which was spread in 
the generous shade of a large tree, young Winthrop said: 

"You doubtles Avonder at my crossing this desert country 
to my new field of labor. My love for the saddle and for 
adventure coupled with the fact that it was the simplest way 
to transport my horse, to which I have become ardently 
attached, led me to undertake the trip. But it was a close 



THE LOST LINE 11 

call for me out /there in that heat, I can assure you. I did not 
know whether I could make it or not." 

"It was your horse'\ responded Senor Gutirez. "Such a 
horse carries a great amount of reserve force for such 
emergencies.^' 

"Are you suificiently acquainted with this country to 
direct me to Black Diamond?" asked Mr. Winthrop. 

"O, yes/' answered the host, "I have been there many 
times; came through there the day before yesterday, in fact. 
It lies slightly to the southeast. If you should leave here at 
midnight, you will travel directly south until you near the 
next water suppy; then /the trail bears sharply to the east. 
You should reach that camping place by ten o'clock tomorrow 
morning; and then if you leave there at midnight, you should 
be at your destination ait ten o'clock the next day." 

"Thank you, Senor Gutirez," responded young Winthrop 
with characteristic western heartiness, and then he added, 
"This then, is not your first visi^t to the states?" 

"Oh, no;" ansv/ered the Mexican with a smile; "I have 
been in this country many, many times." 

"Have your travels been confined to this, and to your 
own land?" Mr. Winthrop inquired further. 

"No," replied Senor Gutirez; "though I have been to 
Europe only on two occasions. Senor Zamora and myself 
were educated in Paris, and I have been over there but once 
since." 

"I enjoyed Europe, on the one short trip I made over 
there" returned Mr. Y/inthrop; "But I was mightly glad to 
get back home again. Its America for me, every time." 

"I, too, like this side of the Atlantic best", the host 
replied, "and my present work is very interesting." 

"I should like to hear about it." 

"Well, at present", continued the host, "I am traveling 
in the United States studying conditions. I take cognizance 
of everyithing; especially of business, churches, and schools 
and colleges. Not wth any sinister motive, however, I can 
assure you. We are indeed glad to learn that you are a 
Protestant minister, for it has been my pleasure to work 
among Protesitants in a quiet way. Right now, Seno? 



12 THE LOST LINE 

Zamora and I are carrying a message to them that bears 
all that life means to us." 

Winthrop looked at him inquiringly for a moment for he 
was certain that (these men must be Catholics, and for men 
of that faith to bear a message to the Protestant ministry of 
the United States, represented considerable zeal, even if it 
was zeal without knowledge. 

He was further mystified by the sound of a pen in the 
adjoining tent which had moved with steady rythm ever 
since the meal began. Brave man ithat he was, there v/ere 
creeipy feelings in the vicinity of his spine for a moment. 
But he recovered himself completely as he looked into the 
kindly face of his host, seeing nothing but the deepest can- 
dor there. 

"No(t many miles to the southward^^ Senor Gutirez began, 
"running east and west is a strong barbed vdre fence. At 
intervals of a mile, there are iron monuments bearing on the 
south side in Spanish, and on the north side in Englsh, the 
dates and agreements entered into by the Republic of 
Mexico and the United States concerning the boundary line 
which the fence marks. You may look southward through 
the sunfilled air of Mexico and say to yourself, *A land of 
sun and light, rock ribbed valleys, gorgeous scenery and en- 
trancing mysiteries;' and not percieve a dark heavy pall over 
that fair land, as black and as real as the enfolding arms of 
night. You know to what I refer?" asked Gutirez. 

"You are meaning the state of enlightenment, I should 
judge,'' responded the guest. 

"Ah Laloy — The light — yes the enlightenment". Gutirez 
replied reflectively. 

"You will perceive more readily", he continued, "what I 
am thinking, when you picture your self exploring an ancient 
vine and moss covered ruin with it's stones crumbling into 
decay, and suddenly come upon a sulky old owl in a musty 
darkened corner as I have done many times in Europe. This 
moping old bird, hiding away contentedly from God's sunlight, 
prefering the dark odors of decay, disputing your right to 
intrude, ready to sink its talons into anything that disturbs its 



THE LOST LINE 13 

retreat, is the truest type of the Catholic church of which I 
know. 

"How often I have reflected the consistent type this 
makes; it's love of the dead and crumbling past; musing of 
past power and glories; dwelling and reflecting in the decay 
of an almost forgotten age, and viciously opposing the light 
and progress of the present.'' 

Young Winthrop looked at his host almost spell-bound as 
the intelligent eyes and mellow voice of the Mexican inter- 
preted his thought and emotions. 

Mr. Gutirez proceeded; ^'To change the figure, one of 
your English writers remarks; The dead rulers from their 
urns, and that hand that reaches out from a putresent viscid, 
quagmire of the past, has crushing weight and power. The 
Church it represents, reaches out of the dismal and cruel past 
and blights with it's suppressing grip, any or all, that would 
intrude upon its retreat and its stinking and musty tombs'. 
You being a Protestant, of the religion of protest, are happy 
in being so situated. You are familiar with these ihings?" 
he asked. 

"In a general way, yes; but I must confess, I have given 
it but a passing investigation," replied young Winthrop. 

"Ah it is, pleasure to discuss this with you then", 
continued Mr. Gutirez, "My fair land is as rich in natural 
resources as the fabled Eldorado; yet it is a country of 
poverty peonage and banditti; a land where the few roll in 
wealth and luxury while women and children starve in the 
streets of the very cities where sleek priests and prelates live 
in palatial residences and ride in elegant equipages supported 
by the pesos wrung from the squalid populace." 

"Son Diablos to dos!" cried the Indian with a vehemence 
that was startling. His face was livid. The veins of his 
forehead and neck enlarged as though they would burst. 

The guesit was reassured however, when his host respond- 
ed in a tone indicating he v/as not unused to such outbursts. 

"No Senor Zamora, they are not all devils; but it is the 
ripe fruit of that system calling itself the -only true Church 
of Jesus Christ upon the earth. The system whose policy has 



14 THE LOST LINE 

always been to keep the people in subjection and ignorance 
in all those lands where it gets undisputed sway." 

"My reading of Mexican history", interposed the guest, 
"led me to the conclusion that when Cortez invaded the land 
he found an interesiting happy people, rich in everything 
necessary to their simple life. Heathen it is true, practicing 
some rites that were horrible in the extreme, and that by 
force of course, they were made to give up their religion for 
that of the Catholic church; but, that much of the cruelty 
perpetrated on them, can not be laid at the door of the 
Church as such." 

"True enough'^ responded his host, "But too well do we 
who were suckeled at the breast of the church know it's 
nature. It has ever had itwo gods to which it has bowed the 
knee. One is money, the other power — the musical ring of 
gold and the clink of silver has ever been sweeter sounds 
to her than the cry of the prodigal coming back to the 
Father. I notte with a sad heart as I walk among the poor of 
my people that the Church's policy is no pesos, no marriage 
ceremony; no pesos, no baptism; no pesos, no burial of the 
dead, and so on through all the list of those things the church 
itself holds to be absolutely necessary to the well-being of the 
people." 

Young Winthrop had imperceptibly been awakened to 
an interest that was alinvolving by the emest words of this 
man whose people had suffered so much at the hands of the 
very organization that should have sheltered and blest 
them. The depths of a frank courageous nature had been 
plumbed by these startling truths, and he found himself say- 
ing, "These sad truths you have uttered stir me profoundly. 
There is undoubtedly an element deeper than the great words 
you have spoken that touches and stirs my nature to it's 
depths; it is your sincerity; your love for the truth, for your 
people, and for mankind. I thank you most sincerely". 

"Be happy my young friend" answered Mr. Gutirez, 
*that your fair land is blighted but little with the insidious 
▼enom of this darkness loving power. But it is being 
blighted; that is why I speak. That is why I work as I can 
with the Protestant ministry. 



THE LOST LINE 15 

"They can prevent it's deadly work. If they are indif- 
ferent, the evil leaven will work till the whole land is in- 
volved; then that bit of wire down on the ^Line' can be 
removed for we will be one land and one people. Your 
liberties will be gone; your boasted freedom a thing of the 
past! Already the man on The Tiber has purposed to make 
your land Catholic. That is the stroke of all the strokes of 
genius made by that system that never sleeps, for well do 
they know your nation is the coming nation of all the world; 
and to have that nation Cathoic is to have the world in its 
control." 

The steady rhythm of the pen in the adjoining tent had 
not ceased during this interesting interview. While Win- 
throp marveled at it, all feeling that it had any connection 
with the conversation was gone; and he was at perfect ease 
w^hen his host arose and announced, "The sun is well on its 
way to the horizon. I must break camp at midnight. You are 
weary, Senor Winthrop from your trying experience of the 
morning, and greatly need rest. You will occupy the tent 
assigned you, so I will bid you a good afternoon, wishing you 
refreshing sleep and a better tomorrow.'' 

The guest arose, took the proffered hand and shook it 
heartily, thanking his host for his great kindness and for the 
pleasure and profit the conversation had afforded him; but 
insisted on putting up his own tent under a nearby tree. 

When this was pitched, and some preparations were 
being made on the inside he saw a young woman of mar- 
velous beauty come out of the tent from which the sounds of 
writing had proceeded and pass swiftly to the tent of the 
servant woman. Her features were decided Spanish and her 
large lustrous eyes were as dark as midnight. Every move- 
ment was with the ease and grace of a queen. It was not 
simply her beauty however that seemed to entrance and hold 
young Winthrop spellbound, as it was the subtle charm of 
character that seemed to show in her face. 

It was a long time after he had lain down, before he 
could compose himself for sleep, so full had the day been; 
but by and by, tired nature asserted itself, and, lost to his 
surroundings he sank into gentle slumber. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE DREAM MANUSCRIPT 

The morning sun was just peeping up over the desert 
sands when young Winthrop awoke. So soundly had he slept 
it was some moments before he realized where he was, what 
had happened, and that, at that moment, he should have been 
well on his way to the next camping place. 

Hastily dressing he stepped out into the sweet desert 
air. The camp was completely deserted, save for his own 
horse, that was tied to a tree some three hundred yards away 
and, who on seeing his master gave a glad whinney of recog- 
nition. At the foot of the tree under which his tent was 
pitched, was a pack containing abundant rations for three 
days, and on top of the pack lay a large bundle which he found 
to be a manuscript v/ritten in a clear free hand. 

At the sight of this, strange questions arose in young 
Winthrop's mind. "Was it the work of that fair young 
woman whom he had the privilege of seeing for a brief 
moment the day before? Was this an explanation of those 
sounds of writing he had heard as he sat at the table with 
Gutriez? If the young woman v/as the authoress, why 
should she leave the manuscript with him?" 

But here he was aroused from his questionings by 
another whinney from "Selim'^ who needed care and was 
anxious for his master's companionship. 

One thing he was thoroughly awakened to was the im- 
possibility now, of breaking camp till night fall. So he 
hurried av/ay to his horse, watering him and then leading 
him to vvhere the rich Grama grass was growing in abund- ' 
ance, he hobbled him and left him to feed and rest at will. 

Coming back to the tent, he lighted a fire, made coffee 
took from the pack provisions and proceeded to appease the 
hunger his long fast had produced. 

When the meal was out of the way he settled himself 
in a comfortable place, opened the manuscript that so 
strangely had com.e to his hands, and became so absorbed in 
it, he finished it before continuing his journey to Black 



THE LOST LINE 17 

Diamond and the following is what he found and now shares 
with you: 

A DREAMER'S DREAM. 

The following pages contain a faithful account of the 
vivid experiences of a recent summer night which because of 
the marvelous changes I saw in my dream had taken place in 
world conditions, I call, 

"A Glimpse into the Future." 

A party of us, tv/enty young women and as many young 
gentlemen had gone very early on a July morning to the 
"Hill of the Star", just a little way out from Mexico City 
for a picnic. There were with us devoted chaperons, and 
faithful servants who hung the swings and hammocks, 
looked after the other devisies for our pleasure, and spread 
the lunch. But contrary to all indications of the morning, the 
day even in this delightful little mountain, was extremely 
warm; but in spite of this we gave ourselves fully to pleas- 
ure, each member of the company being at the top of the 
hill at least once, to enjoy the marvelous view it afforded. 

When we reluctantly turned our faces towards home, the 
sun had gone dov/n, and the full moon v/as shedding her 
mellow light in wonderous prodigality over moutain and 
plain, and the balmy air was redolent with the perfume of 
many flowers. 

I was so weary when I reached home, and such a strange 
drowsiness had come over me, that when I went into my 
room, I threw myself without disrobing upon the couch. The 
water of the fountain out in the garden as it splashed and 
fell, made music so soothing, that, ere I was aware I had 
fallen asleep, and as I slept I dreamed. I stood in my dream 
in Columbus, New Mexico; But a marvelous change had come 
to it. Instead of a village of a few hundred, it had grown to 
a city of half a million people. Strange as everything ap- 
peared, I seemed to know it was Columbus. The outlying 
country too had changed as marvelously as had the village. 
From a semi-desert, covered witlh mesquite, cactus and 
greasewood, it had become a land of orchards, vineyards, 
and fruitful fields. Water had been brought in from a natural 



18 THE LOST LINE 

fountain to the south, and from other sources, to make this 
mighty transformation possible. 

I could see some sort of celebration was on, for throngs 
of gaily dressed people filled the broad streets, magnificent 
plazas and the fantastically decorated booths. 

Great airships in the form of gigantic birds, went and 
came, alighting or arising at the will of their pilots. The prin- 
cipals governing the navagation of the air seemed to be 'io 
well understood, that conformity to the old types was no 
longer necessary. 

"Surely," I thought, "I must be in a new world, or else 
I am dreaming.^' 

Then my eyes fell upon a great banner stretched acra&s 
what seemed to be the principal thoroughfare, bearing these 
dates, in great gilt figures: "1973-2023'\ 

"But''\ I mused, "why those dates? This is 1910 and I 
cannot understand why those two dates are associated as 
they are." 

As I puzzled over the riddle, — I noticed a man in plain 
attire and of a serious countenance standing a little apart 
from the merry makers; so I made bold to cross over to him 
saying, "Pardon me, kind sir, but as this is Monday the 
Fifth of July, I suppose these Americans are celebrating the 
Independence from King George to day. But I cannot see 
why they have those dates on yonder banner?'' 

His face became animated in an instant, and leading me 
to a seat stood, till I was seated; then taking another facing 
me he said, "You speak as a Mexican would have spoken in the 
long go." 

"But I am a Mexican,'' I replied with all the emphasis 
I could command; "A resident of Mexico City." 

Then his serious face bore the first faint trace of a 
smile as he asked, "But do you not know that we are all one 
country now? There is no Mexico or United States of 
America any more; but one country, Columbia; named so in 
honor of that Son of the Church who discovered the western 
world!" 

"Well it is strange I have not heard of that," I replied; 
my wonder growing every moment. 



THE LOST LINE 19 

"No, they are not celebrating the fourth of July," he 
said, "All that it represents is forgotten. They are cele- 
brating the removal of the seat of the Papal See from Rome, 
to Washington, D. C, where a new Vatican has been built, 
excelling in magnificence the one on the Tiber, as day exceeds 
night. The change was made July Fifth, 1973." 

"But", I interposed, "the people and their surroundings 
do not seem to have suffered. Who could ask for greater 
beauty and magnificence; and the people seem to be care free, 
prosperous, and happy." 

"Yes," he answered, "THESE are; but three fifths of 
this once free nation are slaves, or as good as slaves. Peons; 
and in that class are descendants of some of the wealthiest 
and proudest old families of the beginning of the 20th cen- 
tury. These you see are the wealthy educated class." 

Just then a magnificent airship that looked like a great 
white swan, alighted a few rods away, and as the door 
opened a lordly man in immaculate white duck stepped out 
followed by his family and their servants. 

"That man", continued my informant, "owns ten thous- 
and acres of these productive lands. One thousand peons 
care for his broad acres. They and their families grind and 
sweat that he and his family may luxuriate as you see them 
doing to day." 

"But how did this all come about?" I asked my aston- 
ishment increasing. 

"The process was simple enough", continued the man", to 
those of us who know history", and lowering his voice he con- 
tinued, "The Church thinks she has destroyed all the books 
containing the history of the past, but she has not. There 
are some who know how it all came about." 

Here he looked guardedly about him and then for a 
moment searchingly at me. 

"It is all right I assured him you can tell me all. I am 
not a spy, but a seeker after the truth. I want to know all." 

"Pardon me," he said, "but I had not thought of the 
danger I was running in speaking to an utter stranger. I 
am surrounded by a power so absolute, if IT knew I know 
what I do, I would drop out of sight to night; either, my life 



20 THE LOST LINE 

would go for my knowledge, or I would be put where I would 
never see the lig^ht of day again. '^ 

Continuing with his entrancing account, he said, "The 
roots of this awful evil are intertwined and interlaced in the 
closing years of the 19th century. The fault can he laid at 
the door of the Protestant Churches!'' 

I began to enter a protest, but he waved it aside saying, 
"Hear me through and you will see. 

"First, is it not perfectly logical, that as the simple 
truth of salvation from sin by faith in Jesus Christ as 
preached by an Augustinian monk, pulled the nations of 
Northern Europe up out of the quagmire where they had 
groveled for a thousand years, that the neglect of this truth 
would land the world in the same quagmire, or something 
worse ? " 

"Well, yes, it is;" I responded hesitatingly; "knowing as 
we do, that man can be saved from sin only by faith in 
Christ." 

"Well", he continued, the Protestant Churches gradually 
allowed the old insiduous error, that brought on the Dark 
Ages, to creep in till neither, in the pulpit, or church press, 
was faith in Christ taught at all. His death had no vicarous 
nature; it was only an incident in his holy life; he was 
simply an example. God looks upon men with favor because 
of their good works. 

"Then it came about too, that the Protestant Churches 
allowed the great magazines and religious novels to take the 
office of teacher from them. The people got their religious 
teaching from these. Everyone of them taught salvation by 
works. 

"Then the desire for organic union of the denominations 
obessed the leaders and members of these various branches 
of Protestantism; Organic Union, with, or without that union 
that comes from unity of spirit; so many of them were con- 
solidated. 

"In doing this, those who had not already given up 
those great truths that gave him existence, did so in the 
union; and from that time their downward course was swift. 

"Possessing nothing that made them an aggressive force, 



THE LOST LINE 21 

naturally the breach between them and Catholicism narrower!, 
until there was so little difference they were easily absorbed. 

*^But the successor to St. Peter did not leave all the dis- 
astrous work to Protestantism; but as St. Peter on that day 
when he went a fishing to obtain the tribute money, baited 
his book skillfully, so did the head of Catholicism. For he 
saw the United States of America was the stralteg-ic country 
of the world. All the churches had not capitulated when he 
changed his seat from Rome to Washington Q^ty. There 
were then 175,000,000 people in the United States. He knew 
flattery to be a powerful agency. What a recognition of the 
importance of the U. S. for him to make it the seat of the 
so called holy See! Now this country has 300,000,000 people, 
and Catholicism rules the world!" 

^Thus far/' I answered, "The process is perfectly simple 
but I cannot see how such a vast number of people could be 
brought to peonage?" 

"I am coming to that", he answered, "And when I am 
through I am certain it will be as clear as the disintergation 
of Protestantism. 

"In the first place. The Free School System was 
abolished. This was practically accomplished before Protest- 
antism had been absorbed. Ignorance always paves the way 
for degradation you know, and those who were engineering 
things, saw that the Parochial schools taught only what they 
wanted taught; AND THOSE only, they decided, should 
receive instruction. 

"Secondly: If such high handed work could be done as 
to the schools, it was perfectly natural the wealthy and those 
taught in the things the Church decreed should be taught, 
were elected to office. Gradually they enacted laws that 
made it very difficult for a small holder or dealer to keep his 
head above water financially. To push him out of the way 
altogether, an unjust system of taxation was enacted. The 
property, or v/ealth of the small holder was all known to the 
public; while the riches of the wealthy could much of it be 
covered up. The poor man paid a heavy tax on every dollar 
of his possessions making it extremely difficult for him to 
increase his store, if he could exist at all. 



22 THE LOST LINE 

"Then there came to be a system of connivance between 
the wealthy and the assessors, that was winked at if known 
to the authorities. It, was something like this. If a man's 
taxes according to the rate, and on that property only that 
could not be covered up, amounted to $5000.00, .the assessor 
would say to him, 'Now if you will give me $1000.00, I will 
cut your taxes to $3000.00, a saving for you of $1000.00. " 
To another, *Your taxes are $10,000.00. If you will give me 
$2000.00 I will cut them to $6000.00 a saving for you of 
$2000.00.' Thus the rich were constantly growing richer and 
the poor, poorer, as the years wore on. 

"Thirdly: Debt, became one of the prolific ways by 
which multitudes were hastened to peonage. When a man 
of small means got into debt to the wealthy it was the busi- 
ness of the creditors to see to it that he never go out. Grad- 
ually these v/ould drift into a servitude that was hopeless, 
for everything was so arranged that for the many at least 
everything the debtor ate and wore came through the hands 
of the creditor. So the creditor saw the debtor always 
remained in debt. 

"But one of the greatest agencies for bringing about the 
deplorable conditions you see today was a Subsidized Press. 

"In bringing the mass of the country into subjection to 
its nefarious purposes, ;l'he Church committed the greatest 
crime against society ever committed against it by any 
organization. For when its source of information was cor- 
rupted so it did not get a true knowledge of how things were 
going; it v/as like the soldier in the day of battle; who, if the 
trumpet gave an uncertain sound could not prepare himself 
for the conflict. 

"It came to pass in those days when the Church was 
preparing for what you now see, that she had wormed her 
way into a position where it was possible for her to draw a 
blue pencil through every thing in any way hurtful to her 
interests, and publish with glaring headlines across the 
front pages of the great dailies anything that would in the 
least advance her interests and keep her before the public 
as the benefactor of mankind. 



THE LOST LINE 23 

"Columns of copy extolling the virtues and accomplish- 
ments of some prelate just deceased would be printed, always 
ringing the changes on "The Solemn Services'' in which the 
clergy in gorgeous^ array marched, so out of line with the 
s.implicity that was in Christ. While on the death of some 
protestant of world-wide fame and influence only a few brief 
words would be employed to announce to the world tharfc a 
true benefactor of the race had passed to his reward. 

Thus in a hundred ways, The Church whose aspirations 
were not for religious excellency and holiness, without which 
the scripitiires say no man shall see the Lord, but for politi- 
cal power and preferment, succeeded in throwing the dust 
in the eyes of the rank and file of the protestant ministry 
and workers, to that extent they did not see the danger till 
the mischief v/as done, and their institutions and liberties 
were gone, and the freedom that was purchased at so great 
a cost by ithe Pilgrim Fathers and their descendants, was 
only a memory, and chains and slavery were their portion, 
and the land that was once heralded in song and story as, 
"The Land of The Free and The Rome of The Brave,,' had 
become the land where tyrants rule and a once free and happy 
people grind and groan in a state of moral and industrial 
peonage! 

"Then lasltly", he continued, "there was the mark." 

"The mark?" I questioned. 

"Yes, the mark in forehead and hand; the palm of the 
right hand." 

Then I remembered having read of a time coming when 
no man could buy or sell with out the mark and involuntarily 
I quoted aloud, "And he causeth all, both small and great, 
rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right 
hand, or in their foreheads; and that no man might buy or 
sell, save he that had the mark, or ithe name of the beast or 
number of his name". 

"Has it come to that?" I murmured, forgetting for the 
moment my informant was there. 

Then I looked aboujt me and saw in many foreheads the 
"mark"; a miniature crown of laurel leaves; and with a 
creepy sensation, I said to the man, "There are those with 



24 THE LOST LINE 

the mark now; but why I wonder, was it made as a crown of 
laurel leaves ?'* 

*'Ah", said he, "that was a stroke of genius. A crown 
of laurel leaves in the long ago was always a badge of honor. 
Was it not the height of wisdom to make the badge of com- 
plete subjection here, carry with it that suggestion?" 

Then as I looked again, I saw yeit others, mostly men, 
with the number ^%Q6'' stamped in bold figures on their fore- 
heads! A sensation of chilliness possessed me for a moment; 
but noticing my friend was waiting for me to speak, I 
asked, "But why do some have the number instead of ifche 
mark?'^ 

"Ah", said he, "that indicates abject subjection to the 
pope. Those bearing the number, will do absolutely anything 
their master asks of them. 

"Do you see that man approaching that fruit and con- 
fectionary stand?" my informant asked. "He is from another 
town and is not known to the dealer. Waitch him now as he 
undoubtedly wishes to make a purchase." 

As he came to the stand he presented his right hand 
with the palm upward, osttensibly for salutation, but really 
that the dealer might see the "mark" for w'hile the dealer 
laid his hand in the hand of the stranger, the nod and smile 
with which he returned the greeting, assured me he was 
looking for the "mark". 

My informant watched my face closely while this trans- 
action at the stand was going on. "You see now do you 
not?" he asked. "When one loses his business or property 
he must work for wages; but Ihis wages are of no value to 
him if he cannot buy; for if he continues to exist he must 
have at least the bare necessities of life; so someone else 
must buy for him. 

"Now if the mark is given by those in auibhority, which 
it is, how easy for them to withhold it from whomsoever 
they v/ill, which they have done from the children of those 
who have fallen under debt or have lost business or property 
and have to labor with their hands, for the wage the employer 
sees fit, to give. Hence Peonage." 

The process was so simple, and the outcome so inevitable 



THE LOST LINE 25 

thait I seemed to marvel that I had not seen it all from the 
beginning. 

Scarcely had this interesting account ended when a 
band a little way off began playing. It must have consisted 
of a great number of instruments probably fiflty or sixty 
pieces, some of them producing sounds almost weird yet so 
sweet and in such complete unison with the others the result 
was ithe most entrancing music I had ever heard. 

I remarked this to the man who had given me so much 
information, whereupon he arose touched his hat and said. 

^Tlease pardon me friend, I have not even given you my 
name. I am Thornton Keeling.'' 

"I thank you", I replied, giving him my name. Where 
upon he bowed low and continued. "You have seen but very 
little of whaJt is going on here, would you not like to move 
about a bit?" 

The first thing that attracted mxy attention as we began 
our walk was the great number of peons. They seemed to 
oe everywhere, sweeping the streets, bearing burdens, and 
anticipating the every wish of their masters. Now helping n. 
little child across the street steadying the slteps of an unat- 
tended elderly lady, spreading down rolls of matting from 
air ships to cool booth, for the dainity slippered feet of the 
wife of some master of a thousand peons. 

The clothing of these drudges consisted of three articles. 
Breeches that reached to ithe knees, a sort of tunic or loose 
sleeveless garment that came just a little below the knees, 
and a high crowned broad brimmed hat made of coarse grass. 
Their bare arms, legs and feet, were colored a rich brown 
by the fervid sun. 

On some of their faces I could see signs of patience, 
though not of resignation to their sad lot. On other faces 
the lines that hate had plowed were plainly visible; while a 
certain air of determinaJtion and a fixed purpose marked their 
movements as though their thoughts were concerned with a 
day of reckoning that was drawing nigh. 

As we turned into a broad thoroughfare, a peon of 
massive proportions, sJtaggering under a heavy burden acci- 
dently jostled a gay young fellow who with several others 



26 THE LOST LINE 

was hurrying from one booth to another. 

At this the young man was thrown into a great rage 
and cried vehemently, "Hi there Canis!" and slapped the 
innocent offender full in the face and expectorated the amber 
of tobacco over the front of his tunic. 

Quick as the movement of a <tiger the massive fellow 
threw down his burden and his great hairy fist shot out like 
a bolt of lightning striking his insulter just below the ear. 

I could hear above the sickening (thud the sound of 
breaking bones, saw the hapless young fellow lifted bodily 
from the ground by the awful impact, who fell as limp and 
lifeless as though struck by a cannon ball! 

The look on the peon's face I shall never forget. It was 
not that of haite but rather the look of an avenger. Then 
I heard what I never dreamed of hearing from human lips. 

" This intoxicates me ^th joy'. This is the beginning!" 

What could he mean? 

I saw many faces pale at that exultant cry, and sitrong 
men tremble with a deadly fear! 

"Do they interpret his words as I cannot?" I wondered. 

Then the officers were upon him for he had made no 
attempt to escape, but still stood by the body of his victim. 
Neither did he utter one more word, neither of protest or 
warning, but went to his doom with a terrible smile of joy 
on his lips, for the commander of the day ordered, "Away to 
the stake! Bring wood for the fire that in the flames this 
beast may pay for this foul murder and his insolence, with 
his life!" 

Leaving this scene of vengence and passing up the street 
we came to a magnificent plaza in the center of which seated 
on a throne was the colossal figure of a man. It was carved 
from fine white marble. 

Round about this figure priests were swinging golden 
censors filled with burning incense and chanting words of 
praise. A constant stream of people came and went bowing 
before the figure and devotedly kissing it's feet. Elegantly 
attired women, men in immaculate duck; young men and 
maidens, boys and girls, and little children. 

As I looked in astonishment and indignation on this scene 



THE LOST LINE 27 

of degradation, from a great megaphone on a nearby tower 
came this message in tones as clear and plain as if some one 
had spoken the words at our side, "Blessed are all ye my 
children who recognize me as in ^the stead of God to you 
upon the earth; and faithfully keep all my words, and with 
glad hearts celebrate this day that commemorates the moving 
of the Holy See to this place designed by God from all 
eiternity to be the seat of my holiness. 

"My benediction is hereby given to you all. Blessed be 
ye in basket and in store. Blessed be your flocks and herds, 
your fields, vineyards and orchards and all the labor of your 
hands. 

"But cursed be the man who does not worship me and 
keep my words; cursed shall he be in the fields and when he 
goeth into his house; cursed be his cattle and all that he 
hath. He shall be 'Anathema Marantha.' 

"Let him find no burial, but let his body be throv/n upon 
the refuse heap, or given to the wild beasts of the earth; and 
all the people shall say, Amen!" 

I looked at Senor Keeling for an explanation of this 
which he quickly volunteered. 

"That is the image of the pope, and the message you 
have just heard is his own word of mouth given at intervals 
of an hour from his throne in Washington to all the throngs 
of people throughout the land that are celebrating this day." 

Just then through the mismanagement of a small air 
ship, by a careless pilot, a peon had been struck a death 
blov/. 

Hurrying to the scene of the accident with others, we 
found him to be a fair haired young fellow of twenty five 
years. A smile of exquisite joy played over his features in 
spite of the pain that held him in it's grip. Priests came to 
his assistance, one holding a crucifix before his eyes, another 
assaying to administer extreme unction. 

But with decisive wave of the hand he said, Take these 
things way. I bring my case directly to God through Jesus 
Christ. All my sins were laid on Jesus, and for His sake God 
forgives them all and makes me free. 



28 THE LOST LINE 

"There are millions of us and the day is coming when you 
shall hear.'' 

Then realizing he was going he lifted his eyes towards 
heaven and cried softly, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit," and 
fell asleep. 

When the priest's services were rejected, and they heard 
his clear words of faith, they flew into a rage and lifting their 
hands in horror cried: 

"Heretic!" 

"Beast!" 

"Dog!" 

And one of them ran for holy water and sprinkled the 
place and the bystanders, lest in the presence of such hersey 
the devil appear in bodily form. 

Then the voice of the officer of the day was heard in 
command to two peons, "Carry this carrion hence and throw 
it upon the refuse heap even as the Holy Father commands." 

Then the two men gently took up the body of their 
fellow and bore it quickly away. 

"Ah", exclaimed Senor Keeling, as we passed out from 
the crowd, "did you hear those blessed words spoken by the 
young peon ? " ^Bring my case directly to God through Jesus 
Christ!" 

"That was not only his method in things spiritual, but 
it is our pass word as well. 

The two peons v/ho bore his body away recognized it; I 
could tell that by their faces and the way they handled their 
burden. 

"They will take his body to the refuse heap, as ordered; 
but they will dispose of it in such a way it will be safe till 
night fall, then under cover of darkness they vdll bury it with 
prayers and scriptures spoken under the breath; and the 
grave v/ill be so concealed no one but the angel Gabriel will 
be able to find it." 

"What these two dying peons have said is evidence 
enough is it not?" Senor Keeling asked, "to show mighty 
changes are at hand?" 

"Yes," I answered with a shiver, as I recalled the words 
and looks of the first of the peons, that day sacrificed! 



CHAPTER III. 
THE BUILDERS 

As I finished my answer to Senor Reeling's question, the 
bells in the greaib Cathedral began to chime the hour of five. 
The sweet strains brought peace and quiet after the strange 
happenings of the day. The tune was "Eventide", suggesting 
the words thajt have been the prayer of millions. 
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide, 
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide! 
When other helpers fail and comforts flee, 
Help of the helpless, abide with me! 

Senor Keeling arose, bowed low and said, "I must be 
going now for there is important business to be transacted 
before I am away. Three of my compatriots are to attend 
with me a meeting of officials of The Knights of St. Philip', 
where we hope to obtain information of infinite value to The 
Cause of Freedom. Our party, consisting of the persons 
mentioned, and my wife and daughter, dine at the Cafe 
De Albion at 6:30; then when darkness comes, so our course 
may be hidden, we v/ill leave the city.'' 

I was puzzling over his words when he continued, "Our 
important but very perilous mission to the city is being con- 
ducted with the utmost caution. While the four of us are 
members in good standing of The Knights of St. Philip' and 
are consequently regarded as faithful devoted sons of the 
Church, yet all our movements must be most carefully 
guarded. We can not approach the place of meeting to- 
gether even, and there would be no need of our trying for 
admission without this, which every true knight bears". 

Here he extended his right hand palm upward and I 
saw there the crown of laurel leaves clearly outlined. 

"This", he continued, "is one of the things in the heritage 
left me by my father that is of priceless value in Freedom's 
cause, because I have it I can avenge the death of my father 
in helping to free millions from superstition, ignorance and 
spiritual darkness and industrial slavery. 

"My father", he went on," was a well to do land holder, 



30 THE LOST LINE 

but fell into debt, and enemies who were in the place of in- 
fluence and power, saw to it he could not secure loans so he 
lost everything and died of a broken heart. 

"I received this mark when I was eighteen years of age, 
while my father was still in affluance; and while I loathe the 
system that made it possible, yet in my present capacity in 
the liberation of the race, it is invaluable. I cannot tell how 
long it will serve me, for once any suspicion falls on me my 
steps will be dogged by sleuths of The Vatican and some day 
I will be seized by them, tortured for confessions and not 
obtaining them, I will be consigned to a living hell in the 
form of a dark lonely dungeon; or I will pay for my part in 
emancipation at the stake." 

It may have been the approach of evening that caused it, 
but a chill shook my frame for an instant as Senor Keeling 
finished this recital with the same calmness he might have 
told of a trip to the mountains; for bowing low again he said, 
"If you will be at the Cafe DeAlbion at 6:30, we will esteem 
it a great honor to have you our guest; and if you care to do 
so, I will be very glad indeed, to have you accompany us to 
Headquarters." 

I arose, thanking him for both invitations which I was 
pleased to accept; then after giving me explicit directions how 
to reach the Cafe, he moved rapidly away. 

It was natural when conditions reached the state of 
abject servitude and industrial slavery for the peons, as they 
did some twenty five years before my interview with Senor 
Keeling, that some sort of organized effort be made to relieve 
the situation. 

But these unbearable conditions prevailed everywhere 
in the world of toil; involving everyone who toiled with his 
hands, or performed the office and clerical work of the busi- 
ness world; men who must serve for a salary. 

The wealthy did no work of brain or hand; they idly 
luxuriated and gathered in the fruitage of those who ground 
like Samson in the mill of poverty. 

They were leeches on the body of labor! 

The physician in mercy applies that loathsome creature, 
Hirudo Medicinalis to the body of his patient to draw out the 



THE LOST LINE 31 

surplus blood that there may be health and cure; but these 
were like the fabled ghost, ^^Vampire" who left the grave at 
midnight to suck the blood of those who slept. They took the 
good, leaving only the bad. They were consumers, but pro- 
duced nothing but worse conditions for the toilers! 

Two secret orders had undertaken the emancipation of 
the peon and all the labor world. They were secret simply, 
that they might keep their plans and purposes from those 
from whose bondage they would free themselves. The two 
orders worked together, though in some great essentials they 
differed widely. 

*'The Builders/' was the first order formed. This order 
as it's name indicates, was not revolutionary in any sense of 
that term; but like the coral insect builds from the depths 
upward to the light of day so they purposed to struggle 
upward out of the darkness into which their oppressors had 
trampled them, into financial, social and moral freedom. 

Their methods to this end were the Christianization of the 
toilers through the pure teachings of the Nazarene, and the 
instruction of the children in the rudiments of learning. 
These two lines of work had to be carried on in secret; in the 
night time; which made the task Herculean. 

Also the constant united appeal of the whole working 
world to their masters for better wages and social conditions, 
and lastly the use of the ballot, the one mighty power their 
masters had not robbed them of. But through intimidation 
and other vicious practices on the part of the dominating 
class, the exercise of the right of franchise had been greatly 
neglected. 

The exercise of this great power was to be demanded of 
every toiler. By this they hoped to put themselves where 
they could demand better wages, relieve social conditions, 
and deliverance from vasallage. 

"The Avengers'', the other order, regarded with The 
Builders, the effectiveness of the ballot, and the imperitive 
need of it's use by every man who would break the chains of 
industrial slavery and the Christianization and education of 
the people; yet they held in reserve one other weapon. 



32 THE LOST LINE 

violence; which v/as to be used only when all other means to 
relieve had failed. 

I knew that ''Headquarters", to which Senor Keeling 
referred v/as the central place of business of The Builders, 
located in a desolate spot high up in the mountains far to 
the south, from which no one came, or to which none went 
only under cover of darkness; and even then with the utmost 
caution. 

The airship that brought Senor Keeling and his party 
to the city that morning, and in which we took passage for 
Headquarters was built for great speed, and furnished to 
endure long sustained flights at high altitudes. 

The motive power was electricity from powerful highly 
charged batteries easily releasing 300 horse power. The 
ship's capacity was ten passengers besides a considerable 
cargo. 

To safeguard our journey our course at first was due 
north, then turning eastward we made a wide detour of the 
city as the nose of the ship was pointed toward our destina- 
tion. 

Of course we "flew dark''; no lights anywhere about our 
good ship. On dials in front of the pilot, illuminated figures 
kept him informed as to our altitude, speed and direction. 
So up in the hom.e of the clouds v/e sped through the darkness 
some one hundred and fifty miles an hour safer than we 
would have been in the olden days in an express train or 
steamship. 

The mechanism of this ship of the air was so accurate 
in its workings that the pilot needed no other information 
as to our whereabouts. So in exactly an hour and a half from 
the moment we turned southward, we dropped gently down 
in the canyon where the Headquarters of The Builders was 
located. 

It was indeed a desolate, almost inaccessible place, nine 
thousand feet above the sea! 

Some great spasm of nature had cut out in the solid rock 
the canyon that afforded this safe rendevous. 

The Canyon was oval in shape, some three hundred feet 
wide at its widest point, narrowing to mere slits at either 



THE LOST LINE 33 

end, while its walls were sheer cliffs rising hundreds of feet 
above the bed of the canyon through v/hich flowed a small 
swift stream of pure water that furnished power for the 
generation of electricity for lighting, cooking, running print- 
ing presses, charging storage batteries, and for heat when 
needed. 

The place must have been the stronghold of ancient cliff 
dwellers who in remote ages inhabited the spacious chambers 
cut in the solid rock, and had here made a losing fight against 
a foe who finally subdued and enslaved them. Now a com- 
pany of brave men and women, who had taken their lives in 
their hands, were in those same chambers making another 
desperate fight for the emancipation of themselves and mil- 
lions of their fellows, from the tentacles of a religio industrial 
octopus more deadly and ruinous than any fabled creature of 
the sea! 

When we reached Headquarters the whole canyon was 
astir, for at midnight a joint meeting of delegates from the 
two orders. The Builders and The Avengers, was to be held in 
the council chamber. 

Airships of every conceivable pattern, from all points of 
the compass, filled the available space outside the hangars of 
Headquarter's craft. 

When our party reached the door of the council chamber, 
I was promptly challenged by the tv/o stalwart peons that 
barred my way. 

Senor Keeling had given me the password for the 
meeting, which was, "Honor^', and as he vouched for my 
integrity, they stepped to one side and stood at attention 
while we passed in. 

When we entered the magnificent room it was filled 
nearly to its capacity, for most of the delegates were in their 
seats, and a spirit of animation and expectancy possessed the 
throng. For great interests were at stake that night, and the 
head of The Avengers, whom the majority of those present 
had never seen was to preside. 

Suddenly a great hush fell upon the assembly as the 
door opened and the president of The Builders ushered in the 



34 THE LOST LINE 

head of the sister organization and escorted him to the pre- 
siding officer's seat on the platform. 

The delegates arose enmasse and stood breathless till 
the distinguished visitor was seated. 

It was not because of the office he filled, but because of 
the man himself. He was as black as if carved from ebony, 
yet he was kingly; every movement was kingly; and there 
radiated from him that strange something men call "per- 
sonality" that seized and held the vast assemblage as in the 
hollow of his hand. I v/as under a peculiar fascination myself 

Senora Keeling, who sat beside me, saw my interest, 
leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Nearly two hundred 
years ago when a portion of Columbia was called the United 
States of America, this man's ancestors bore the galling 
chains of slavery; now he is in the fight to free himself and 
the world from religious and industrial slavery!" 

The President of The Builders rapped the desk vigorously 
for attention, and when the animated throng had lapsed into 
silence and were seated he said, "It is a great privilege as 
well as a personal pleasure to me to present to you our dis- 
tinguished visitor and fellow patriot, Senor Manchester. He 
has been in the fight for freedom for eighteen eventful years, 
being a charter member of the organization of which he is 
now the head; he v/ill preside over our deliberations to-night, 
— Senor Manchester!" 

When Senor Manchester arose, he said: "Fellow 
Patriots, this is a great pleasure to me to greet those who are 
devoted to the cause of freedom. The orders we represent 
are so similar in their aims we could unite without doing but 
little violence to our principles. 

"You stress the Christianization of all the enslaved 
classes from the Peon up; while we have laid more stress on 
the ballot as our means of emancipation! 

"But I am coming more and more to feel, that without 
the former, we can expect no permanent freedom. A full 
dog, let him be the mongrel of the streets, or the aristocrat of 
the rich man's kennels, will hide a bone; and in doing this 
will use the utmost cunning to prevent his hungry fellow 
from finding it. To make it otherwise, the nature of the dog 



THE LOST LINE 35 

must be changed. If we should get industrial freedom and 
our present oppressors v/ere entirely eliminated, in time 
oppressors would rise up from among ourselves that would 
be as greedy of gain, and as lustful for power as those in 
the saddle to day, unless the heart can be made right through 
the teachings of the lowly Nazarene; therefore each order 
should stress more earnestly and persistently than ever the 
preparation of the heart of our people, that when freedom 
comes, we may use it as not abusing it. 

"But no line of work should be neglected if we are to 
win. Apathy is our greatest foe. If it possesses us we will 
lose at the polls and then we will sink lower and lower in 
servitude, hope will die in the breasts of the toiling millions, 
and slavery, abject slavery will be our lot unless we resort 
to violence; which, God who is my judge knows, we will not 
use unless it be the court of final appeal. 

"But I fear my brothers, that the enemy intends to defeat 
us; I have had no definite word as yet, only intimations from 
here and there to that effect; but let me assure you my fel- 
low patriots", and here he rose to his full height, lifted his 
right hand towards Heaven, a sardonic smile playing over his 
fine features, "that if we make a fair fight, and they defeat 
us by foul means, then as there is a God above us, violence 
will be used; not in revenge, as the spirit of revenge goes, 
but as an oppressed nation rises in revolution against its 
oppressor; and so thoroughly are The Avengers organized 
for concerted action, we can free ourselves from our oppres- 
sors in a single night!" 

When the speaker finished a death-like stillness pervaded 
the room, men held their breath for an instant as the awful 
import of the announcement filtered into the farthermost 
recesses of their consciousness; then they broke into tumult- 
ious cheering. 

Waving his hand for silence, Senor Manchester said, "But 
there is business before us to night other than speech-making 
by me; I understand that four members of The Builders have 
been to Columbus in the State of New Mexico to day on an 
important errand; and I am further informed that Senor 
Keeling is to give us the results of their discoveries." 



36 THE LOST LINE 

When Senor Keeling arose there was vociferous cheer- 
ing. Not because he was to bring a message, but because the 
company knew he was daily hazarding freedom and life itself 
for the cause of liberty. Then somehow the report was cur- 
rent among them, that his party had gained information that 
was priceless at this crisis in the great struggle. 

But when he motioned for silence the delegates settled 
in their seats and in a moment a perfect quiet reigned. 

"Fellow patriots," he began, "I bring you momentous 
tidings; tidings that should stir in our breasts every bit of 
determination and courage to break the chains tyranny and 
oppression have forged. We have seen our rights taken from 
us one by one, till we have reached the servitude of dumb 
driven cattle. We have seen our homes despoiled, our daugh- 
ters have been torn from our arms and carried away to a 
fate worse than death. The rites of the Church have been 
withheld from those who cannot raise the fees; then when a 
man and woman for a love as pure as the breath of a lily, 
have cast their fortunes together, they are denominated out- 
casts, and consigned to eternal damnation by those who be- 
cause of greed refuse the ceremonies that would make their 
union lawful!! 

"And now," he shouted, "the edict has gone forth from 
the hierachy that the toilers must be deafeated at the coming 
election; and it is further decreed by this same cruel sleep- 
less foe of the enslaved peoples, that being victorious, before 
another election day comes round the right of franchise, our 
last weapon of defense, will be taken away from us. 

"Hear me jast a few moments longer, my brothers, for I 

want to read the decree that was received with joy in the 

session of The Knights of St. Philip in Columbus to day, — 

The Vatican, Washington, D. C. 

The 6th month, the 25th day, 

Anno Domimi MMXXIII. 

To all to whom these presents may come. Greeting: 

His holiness and the Cardinals, Arch Bishops and Bishops 

in Solemn conclave assembled, decree that the present 

movement among the toilers, from the clerical forces 

down to the despised peon, is becoming so gigantic that 



THE LOST LINE 37 

not only is the peace and safety of the ruling class in 
the greatest danger, but the Church is threatened with 
overthrow! 

The priests, those true sons of the Church, have by means 
of the confessional, gathered information sufficient to 
convince us the movement is as wide as the world itself. 
They have also discovered there are two secret orders, 
The Builders and The Avengers, that are set for the 
overthrow of the present order. 

They have not however discovered where the headquar- 
ters of these orders are located, for so compact and 
skillful is their organization, and though there are mil- 
lions of members in each of them, yet the priests have 
not found one who knows or has yet revealed such head- 
quarters. 

Therefore the officers of the Knights of St. Philip are 
instructed to go to any length, as the priests have 
already been doing in the offering of bribes of almost 
fabulous value to anyone who will divulge this well 
guarded secret. 

It has also come to us from reliable quarters, that the 
builders, headed by these powerful organizations are 
planning to elect men, from The President down, that 
will put their purposes into operation. 
Therefore they must be defeated at any cost, and then 
before another election day comes round, we will take 
the ballot from them. 

Full plans for the defeat of The Canaille will be decided 
on at the next conclave which will assemble on the 25th 
day of the 8th month Anno Domimi MMXXIII. 

Mgr. Pappello Antigua, Papal Sec. 

Scarcely was the last word out of Senor Reeling's mouth 
when every rnan was on his feet shouting defiance to the 
relentless foe that was deliberately planning their complete 
subjugation. 

I had seen angry men before but I had never seen anger 
personified till I looked into the pale but determined faces 
of that great company of men. 



38 THE LOST LINE 

From one quarter near me I caught the cry, "We will 
never submit to that base insult, no, not if the whole wide 
world must run red with blood!'' 

From still another leader among them came the assur- 
ance, ^'We can and we will win at the polls, for we far out- 
number them, and no toiler will betray us after that base 
threat." 

But for the most part it was a bable of sounds, till near 
me a peon, in the garb of his class a gigantic fellow, with 
classic face and noble bearing sprang lightly upon a seat and 
waved a massive arm for attention. His sun-browned cheeks 
were ashen; but his eyes flashed fire, as he cried: 

"Hear me my brothers; our cause is not lost even if our 
oppressors should defeat us at the polls. There is one means 
of deliverance yet left us, the sword! 

"In different ages of the past the down-trodden have 
appealed to its stern arbitrarnxOnt, and so may we. 

"There is a God above us, and he will hear and look upon 
our affliction. 'His pavillion round about him is dark waters 
and thick clouds of the skies;' and though he seems to have 
covered his face, he sees all our grief and will answer us 
with deliverance!" 

These v/ords of trust and confidence were like oil on 
troubled waters, and in a few moments quiet reigned. 

Then Senor Manchester took up the routine of business 
and several transactions of great import to the work of 
emancipation vvere dispensed with. 

While this was being done, I had opportunity to study 
the personnel of the assembled delegates. They were as 
sturdy a body of men as I had ever seen. All races seemed 
to be represented. For the most part they were of a high 
grade of intelligence and their faces were alight with interest 
and animation as the business of the meeting was being tran- 
sacted. 

Of course some of them bore the marks of cruel servi- 
tude, in stooped forms, scared faces and maimed limbs. 

One near me bore the m_arks of ball and chain about his 
sturdy ankles, that he had evidently dragged between the 
cotton rows; while still another bore the "mark" of his 



THE LOST LINE 39 

brutal master in his ears, as the cattle of the rancher of the 
olden time bore in their ears their owner's "mark". 

I was especially attracted by a sturdy peon of massive 
form and handsome face, from one of the sugar plantations 
far to the south, who occupied a seat near to the front. 

I observed that Senor Manchester had been watching 
him, but could not hold his gaze; but in spite of this, he 
seemed as interested and animated as anyone in the council 
chamber. 

The business being finished, Senor Manchester arose 
and addressed a few closing words to the delegates. 

"Fellow Patriots, '^ he began, "It is just about five 
months till election day. What is done must be done quickly 
and v/ithout the waste of one ounce of strength. I am con- 
fident the hierarchy will not give out its final instructions to 
its henchmen for the defeat of the toilers until the night 
before, or possibly in the early morning hour of the very day 
of election. Therefore, every leader of our forces must be a 
minute man, ready to act instantly. If not, all is lost. It is 
the unanimous verdict that Senor Keeling and his able asso- 
ciates, continue their invaluable v/ork of gathering informa- 
tion so vital to our work. They have counted the cost, and 
counted not their own lives dear unto themselves." 

Here Senor Manchester sprang from his place with the 
agility of a tiger, took tv/o or three bounds, stopped in front 
of the delegate from the sugar plantation, thrust an accusing 
forefinger full in the face of the terror stricken man, and put- 
ting his own face so close to the face of the poor wretch, the 
accused could feel his hot breath, he shouted, "Are you a 
traitor?" 

I thought of the judgment day! 

"I saw in the cowering culprit the picture of a lost soul 
before an offended God. A spirit that on earth, had had its 
chance to make good, but had sold its hopes for sordid gain; 
had robbed defenseless widows and orphans, and was now 
meeting the issues of a life of selfishness and crime! 

Again Senor Manchester shouted the question, "Are you 
a traitor?" 

The jav/ of the accused dropped; his body shook like one 



40 THE LOST LINE 

in an ague and great drops of sweat stood out on his blanched 
forehead. 

The tension was terrible! The only sounds that broke 
the oppressive silence were the ticking of the great clock on 
the wall and the suppressed breathing of excited men. 

The strain w^as becoming almost unbearable, when the 
clock boomed the hour of one. It was like the stroke of 
doom in the tense silence, but it broke the spell, and when 
Senor Manchester repeated the question, "Are you a traitor?" 
the trembling man responded, "I am*'. 

At this the body of Senor Manchester seemed to sag, 
and his shoulders droop as under a heavy load. 

Slowly he made his way back to the platform where he 
stood for a moment in silence looking at the self condemned 
man; then he said, "Though I am convinced of your guilt, 
yet we will not condemn you on your confession simply; 
there is other evidence I am sure.*' 

Then turning to the powerful baliffs at the door he said, 
"Search this man!" 

Quickly the men seized himx, examining all his garments 
to no avail. "Look for a belt", commanded Senor Man- 
chester. 

There the tell tale evidence was found in the form of 
offers of great wealtk and honor, if the places of business of 
the Secret Orders, and their plans would be revealed. 

"Now", said Senor Manchester, "V/e have unmistakable 
evidences of this man's guilt, and there is but one course 
for us. 

"But it grieves me sorely, for I know this man; know 
him to have been a faithful worker in the cause of Freedom. 
And I must say, not in exoneration of his crime, but in honor 
of, and as the due of a brave soul, that is in a few moments to 
stand in the presence of the Judge of all, for a long time he 
has made a courageous fight. But temptation was too strong 
for him. His lot was a hard one. Had he won out in his 
treacherous deed, the transition from his pitiful lot to posses- 
sion of his bribe, would have been like passing from hell to 
paradise. Let us not condemn too severely, considering our- 
selves lest we also be tempted. 



THE LOST LINE 41 

*'But as the head of The Avengers, I must pass the sen- 
tence of death on this member of the order, for such is our 
rule for traitors. I understand there is a crater near, down 
ivhich other traitors have gone. Let this one join them tliere, 
and may God have mercy on his soul!!" 

A shudder shook my whole body as these words were 
ended, and I saw those whose duty it was, lead the man away 
to his doom. 

"But", I reflected, "what is one poor traitorous life in the 
l>alance against the lives of millions that would be betrayed 
by his act. 

"These men are in freedom's game; and the game must 
be played to the full, if they would win!" 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE MAN FROM WASHINGTON 

Dawn found our party well on the way back to Colum- 
bus, where the festivities of the day before were to be con- 
tinued with increased zest, but with a new pro-am of 
sports. 

The occupant of the chair of St. Peter at Washing^ton 
had ordered a five day celebration of the anniversary of the 
removal of the seat of the Papal See from the City on the 
Tiber to the greater City on the Potomac; and the ruling 
class, always seeking pleasure, hailed the order with delight. 

We approached the city from the west which gave us a 
perspective that v»^as simply entrancing and the morning was 
so fair it must have rivaled the mornings that dawned on 
Eden! 

Great fleecy clouds, pink and golden in the sun light, 
hung like bridal veils about the heads of the Floridas and 
Tres Hermans Mt. peaks to the north, while Lake Polomas, 
to the southeast, now greatly enlarged, and the center of a 
magnificent park, shimmered under the light like molten 
silver. 

Beneath our swiftly m.oving ship there was one con- 
tinuous panorama of beauty; orchards, vineyards, cotton 
fields and fields of waving grain interspersed v/ith the beau- 
tiful villas of the landlords set in lovely gardens where foun- 
tains played supplying miniature lakes that were bordered by 
arbors, statuary and rustic seats. 

As we neared the earth where the perfume laden air 
gently fanned our cheeks and our ears caught the singing ot 
birds carolling their morning praise, the lowing of the herds, 
the bleating of the flocks the shrill clarion of hundreds of 
chanticleers, the world seemed so peaceful and everything in 
it so happy one could v/ell believe oneself in the ancient para- 
dise. But the blue smoke curling up from a thousand huts 
where peon mothers were preparing the simple breakfast 
before the toil of the day began, reminded us we were out- 
side "The Garden", in a world where brother had forgotten 



THE LOST LINE 43 

brother, where the hopes, ambitions and dreams of one, 
must die that the hopes, ambitions and dreams of the other, 
might be fulfilled; where multiudes lived not after the 
ancient commandment, by the sweat of their faces, but by 
the sweat of others who through an iniquitous system were 
enslaved to bear the burdens that should be borne by all. 

As we neared the city, dozens of airships, some of fan- 
tastic shapes, others of bright colors and all gaily decorated, 
were coming in from every point of the compass; making a 
picture of that July morning never to be forgotten. 

While these gay, carefree throngs were gathering for 
another day of merry making, a great airship "The Black 
Swan", w^as speeding westward from the City of Washing- 
ton, for Columbus, New Mexico, with twenty passengers on 
board. 

The greater number of these m.ade up a committee sent 
by The Vatican, to determine the boundaries of some lands 
of The Church located in what was once Old Mexico. 

Back som.e where in the twentieth century, a powerful 
United States Senator from New Mexico, had acquired title 
to lands in Old Mexico that were now v/orth a king's ransom. 

A dispute had arisen between The Church and the Gov- 
ernor of New Mexico, Senor Justin Sherwood, a descendant 
of this U. S. Senator, concerning boundary lines. 

This Committee was to confer with the Governor, and 
by surveys, the examination of old grants titles, come if 
possible, to an amicable settlement of the dispute. 

Among the passengers aboard the Black Swan, who 
were not members of the committee, were Senora Marie 
Kesterson, a widov/ed sister of Governor Sherwood, her 
beautiful daughter Senorita Lucretia, and Julian Harcourt, 
their parish priest. 

An animated conversation was being carried on by this 
trio in the elegant state room of Senora Kesterson as the 
good ship sped rapidly westward, involving some of the 
questions that in spite of the cry, "Peace!'' "Peace!", those 
in high places were raising, were constantly coming to the 
front for discussion by those who had any .interest in affairs. 

This brilliant young priest possessed everything a man 



44 THE LOST LINE 

of thirty could desire to make a successful career in The 
Church certain. Nobility of form and a princely bearing, a 
powerful analytical mind; and a most charming personality. 
Many had already predicted that some day he would wear the 
triple crown! 

But the trend of the conversation led by the priest indi- 
cated that something far removed from his own advance- 
ment held his thought. The spiritual welfare of the world 
wide Church! 

"But, Father/' inquired Senora Kesterson. "You do not 
think the conditions are as bad as that do you?'' 

"Yes,'' sighed the priest, "much worse than I have 
described them!" 

"Surely, Father," persisted the devoted woman. "The 
Church has been in conditions similar to its present state in 
times past; but through God's mercy and help has rallied 
from them to the magnificence and power of to day!" 

"Yes," answered the priest," there was one other time 
when it had reached this low level; that was the time im- 
mediately preceeding The Reformation; have you read of it?" 

"No Father; I spoke in general terms," answered 
Senora Kesterson, now thoroughly aroused. 

"In those sad times," resumed Father Harcourt, "all The 
Church seemed to care for was power and revenue. These 
it had obtained, for it had absolute power over the bodies 
and souls of men, and its revenues were enormous! 

"It seemed to have left the spiritual oversight of the 
"world, to look after its temporal and political affairs; making 
and unmaking kings; seeking the patronage of the wealthy 
and powerful of the earth till the glorious light committed 
to it by The Lord had well nigh gone out." 

"But Fther, it is not as bad as that now," persisted the 
anxious devotee of The Church. 

"Yes Senora Kesterson", responded the priest, "to be 
honest with you, I must say, the conditions are worse now 
than then; and unless there comes a Reformation inside The 
Church we are as sure of wreck and ruin as there is a God 
above us; for the Reformation was brought about by the 



THE LOST LINE 45 

preaching of salvation from sin through simple faith in 
Jesus Christ by Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk. 

"But you must understand, this movement called The 
Reformation' was outside The Church. For instead of the 
Church accepting the movement started by one of its faith- 
ful sons, it thrust it out, — so it went forward in the form of 
a great schism called Protestantism. This movement went 
on till it leavened for good the whole social order bringing in 
the highest type of civlization the world has ever seen." 

''How sad''; commented Senora Kesterson, "The Church 
did not v/elcome the movem.snt and profit by it to the fullest 
extent.'' 

"That v/as one of the greatest mistakes The Church ever 
made," returned Father Harcourt. 

"While it is true the Church benefitted by the influence 
of Protestantism upon it, in those countries where protest- 
ant Churches flourished along with it, yet it is also too true, 
that The Reformation never reformed The Church; only 
slightly touched her malady; and now that the Protestant 
Churches, through the neglect of the itruth that produced The 
Reformation, have been absorbed into The Church, who shall 
raise it up, or bring cure to it for its deadly sickness?" 

The priest ceased, and there was complete silence for a 
moment, each member of the little group apparently contem- 
plating the sad situation. 

"I wonder if Martin Luther could have dreamed of the 
stir those ninety five theses would make, or v/hat a transfor- 
mation they would work when he nailed them to the Church 
door in Wittemburg?" 

Senora Kesterson was puzzled at this question of her 
daughter, but the priest turned to the young woman with 
unconcealed admiration, a merry twinkle in his eyes, ask- 
ing: "You have read of this then?" 

"Yes Father, all of it," she answerea shyly. 

"But daughter! interposed her mother, "you have never 
said anything to me about it; and where anyway in the wide 
wide world did you get hold of books giving such informa- 
tion?" 



46 THE LOST LINE 

"O that was easy enough, Mother mine", she answered, 
gaily, "I read a full account of conditions preceeding The 
Reformation and also of that great movement, when I was 
at Uncle's last summer; and as I have not confessed it, now 
the Father Confessor is here, I am confessing; and I am sure 
he will not make me walk back to Washington with peas in 
my shoes, or stand bare foot in the snov/ as a poor supliant 
at his door, as some of the popes did with Kings in the 
long ago." 

The young priest shook with laughter at this gay reply; 
but sobering instantly said: 

"No Senorita Lucretia, I will lay no penance upon you 
for having read about those times; but knowing of those dark 
days of The Church and something of its sad state at the 
present, we should devote ourselves fully to God and to the 
uplifting of The Church so blinded by the god of this world." 

While Father Harcourt spoke those earnest words, his 
face was lighted by a tenderness that clearly reflected the 
pure soul within. But this tenderness v/as not alone for the 
Church he loved so dearly, or the poor degraded millions The 
Church was neglecting. But it was only for a moment; then 
the look of tenderness was gone, and an expression of pain 
replaced it as though a familiar aparition had appeared 
crying out, "It cannot be! It cannot be!" 

Sencra Kesterson evidently much distressed over what 
her daughter had said remarked: 

"I wonder why my brother keeps such books where young 
people can get hold of them, to unsettle their minds as to the 
integrity of The Church? I must surely take him to task 
for this as soon as I can get a quiet interview with him after 
w^e reach Columbus." 

"I do not think it will accomplish any thing mother", 
responded the daughter kindly. "Uncle Justin has very 
decided views concerning The Church in those far off days, 
and also concerning its attitude towards the masses to day. 

"But," she added gaily, "it will be very interesting read- 
ing for you, if you care to take it up; it was for me, especially 
that part relating to the Sale of Indulgences, and the stir 
it made." 



THE LOST LINE 47 

Then turning to the priest, she bantered: *'Do you not 
think Father, the monk showed a splendid courage in attack- 
ing the system with practically the whole Church against 
him?" 

The Mother^s distress v/as greatly increased as she saw 
the merry twinkle in her daughter's eyes, now turned cate- 
chist, and the admiration she could not conceal for the noble 
young priest plainly visible; so before Father Harcourt could 
answer his fair young questioner, Senora Kesterson inter- 
posed: 

*'But Father, whatever does my daughter mean by the 
expression, *The Sale of Indulgences?' " 

"That," answered the priest, a look of pain passing over 
his features, "was the granting to individuals by the Church, 
for a speciiied sum of money the privilege to commit specified 
sins, in some instances sins, that all men regard as heinous 
crimes." 

"But Father", Senora Kesterson again interposed, "it 
does not seem possible that the Church, Christ's body with 
the holy father, Christ's vicegerent on the earth as its head, 
could do such things." 

"No", continued the priest, "to one whose whole life has 
been sheltered by the Church as yours has, it cannot seem 
possible." 

"But Father", the sorely troubled woman cried, "though 
you say things are as bad now as they were before The Re- 
formation, it cannot be the holy father would authorize the 
committing of sin now for money ? " 

"But that is just why I have been speaking as I have 
about the Church's condition; for the holy father has already 
ordered the sale of indulgences! 

"It develops that when the magnificent Vatican Build- 
ings were erected at Washington city, an enormous debt was 
contracted, and notwithstanding the immense sums collected 
from Teter's pence', and other sources, there is a billion 
dollars yet unpaid! 

"The holy father puts forward as justification for his 
course the plea that the expense of maintaining the Papal 



48 THE LOST LINE 

court and the great buildings, with the interest on the debt, 
is such there is no hope of liquidating it; hence the order." 

"This'', responded Senora Kesterson, "is sad news to me; 
the joy is already taken out of this trip on which I had 
counted so much!" 

"My heart, too, is grieved beyond measure", responded 
the priest; "I have not yet witnessed any such sales, and I 
dread the day when I must witness them; for I am satisfied 
I could not do so without a protest." 

"Bravo! Bravo!'' cried Senorita Lucretia clapping her 
hands; "Isn't that splendid mother? I knew our priest 
would not tolerate such evils." 

"Yes it is brave, and brings hope and courage to my 
heart, but I fear the costs," responded the mother. 

"I am aware", commented the courageous priest, "that 
it will be no summer's holiday to challenge this evil; but I 
have counted the cost of such a course, and I hope I will 
have the Christian fortitude to meet whatever may come to 
me in the path of duty, as a true Soldier of the Cross!" 

At ithis point in the conversation, luncheon was an- 
nounced, and the trio arose moved out to the stately dining 
room which they entered together, sitting at the same able. 

At this table were two other priests of their acquaint- 
ance, Father Michel O'Brien and Father Samuel Scanlon; 
7nen of overfed paunches, with bulging necks and bullet like 
heads, the veins about the jaws showing the too liberal use 
of wine. 

Father Scanlon, especially would attract unfavorable 
attention anjrwhere because of the large upturned nose and 
small eyes that suggested the inhabitant of the sty! 

As soon as Senora Kesterson could, with courtesy leave 
the table, she excused herself and with her daughter, with- 
drew to her own state room. 

It was evident she was much distressed, and as soon as 
they were in the seclusion of the room, she immediately 
addressed herself to the daughter saying: "Lucretia, my 
dear child, this is a sad day for me; what Father Charcourt 
tells us about the Church, against which I had never had the 
faintest suspicion concerning its integrity, fairly breaks my 



THE LOST LINE 49 

heart; and there is another matter about which I must speak 
to you to day, for it has troubled me more or less for many 
months; and what I have seen to day so increased my fears, 
I cannot be silent any longer. Are you in love with Father 
Harcourt?'' 

Whether the daughter surmised what was coming is not 
known; but as is characteristic of lovers at such times, she 
parried, ^'Why momsie, what makes you think that?'' 

But when the mother in tender love pressed her for an 
answer, the daughter, under the glad spell that held her in 
awe, through its purity and naturalness, for she could see no 
wrong in being in love with such a noble character as Father 
Harcourt, blushingly gave an affirmative answer. 

At this, the pent up grief of the mother broke forth in 
a flood of tears, in which the daughter joined, weeping on her 
mother's breast. But when the first keen pangs of this new 
sorrow had passed, the mother counceled, "But daughter, do 
you not know this is folly, mad folly? for Father Harcourt 
cannot marry you, nor any one else, for The Church forbids 
it; and besides you know Prince Reynault is madly in love 
with you, and only awaits the word from you to make you 
his wife." 

The blushing hesitating girl of a few moments before 
seemed to have changed in the brief interval, to a strong 
masterful woman; for she drew herself up to her full height 
and answered as one who appreciated the situation com- 
pletely. 

"I know mother, that Father Harcourt cannot marry; 
but I ask in the name of all that is sacred and true, where 
God ever ordained that priests should not marry ? '* 

"But daughter. The Church in its councils and through 
the holy father, God's mouthpiece on the earth, has ordered 
it, so the priest may give himself, unhindered by domestic 
cares, to ministrations in holy things; that in nothing per- 
taning to life and godliness. The Church, Christ's bride, 
should suffer." 

"But who gave the Church this authority mother ? Christ 
surely did not in either of the gospels for I have read them 
carefully and find no such orders; and besides," she added, 



50 THE LOST LINE 

her face wreathed in quizzical smiles, "St. Peter, whom the 
Church claims as its first pope, was a married man, for it is 
recorded that Jesus and his disciples went into Peter's house 
and his wife's mother was sick of a fever and Jesus healed 
her!'' 

"But daughter, the Church has to settle and fix some 
things Jesus did not settle, and it has decided the priests can 
better serve their parishes if they are unmarried, and the 
holy father speaking from the chair of St. Peter cannot make 
a mistake; it is as though God himself were speaking!" 

"It may seem like presumption for me to speak after 
such authority as that has pronounced upon it; but mother 
dear; doesn't reason teach us that if the priest had the bless- 
ings and comforts of a true home, and knew something of the 
perplexities and cares that come in the training of a family, 
he would be better fitted to minister to the fathers and 
mothers of his parish, who deal with those perplexities and 
bear 'those heavy burdens year in and year out? 

"And what is more do you not believe that Fathers 
O'Brien and Scanlon, and hundreds of others like them, 
would be more respectable men if they had the love of true 
wives to guide and comfort them?" 

"But daughter you must not talk that way about God's 
holy priests!" 

"Holy priests mother ? I am not talking about holy men, 
for I know he has many who are leading lives of sobriety 
and holiness; but you know, and any one knows who con- 
siders at all, there are numbers of them who are not in that 
class!" 

"Well daughter v/e must not be too hard on these men, 
if they try to find comfort in wine and tobacco; they have 
much to try and perplex them!" 

"That is just it mother; if these men had homes and 
families looking to them for examples, they would not be 
inflamed with wine and reeking with tobacco!" 

Senora Kesterson evidently considered further argu- 
ment useless, for she turned to the subject so near her heart, 
saying: 



THE LOST LINE 51 

"Now daughter let us talk about something that will get 
us some where. You can not afford to think of one with 
whom marriage is impossible, especially when you consider 
what Prince Reynault has to offer you; name, social position, 
and a life of ease and luxury in his palatial home on the 
Ohio." 

"Yes I have thought of all that mother", she answered 
gently; "but I have also thought of the thousand Peons and 
their families who toil and grind that the estate with all its 
magnificent appointments may be kept up. 

"Do you think I could", she asked drawing near and 
taking her mother^s hand in her own, "or would you want 
me 'to accept what he has to offer; knowing as I do that it 
represents the sweat and tears, the blasted hopes and ambi- 
tions, of that thousand men and their familes?" 

"But daughter", the mother evaded;" your father had 
hundreds of peons on our estate on the Rio Grande!" 

"Yes I remember that mother; but you know father 
housed those peons in comfortable homes; paid them wages 
on w^hich they could live comfortably and lay up something 
for old age. He also kept the most spiritual priest he could 
find to minister to their spiritual needs; and the best physic- 
ian was always at their call; and not only did he meet the 
expense of these things, but he visited their sick beds; min- 
istering to them with his own hands! 

"But", she continued drawing herself up to her full 
heigH and indicating with her hand as though the scene was 
before them, "look at those miserable huts on the estates of 
Prince Reynault, in which his peons are herded! Look at the 
cringing half starved creatures that till his fields. Can I 
accept that?" 

"Well", commented the mother, "it is not a very pleasing 
prospect it is true, when viewed from that angle. I guess we 
had better drop the subject, for we have had enough of the 
unpleasant to day!" 

The priests remained at the table in the dining room 
long after Senora Kesterson and her daughter had with- 
drawn; sm.oking and conversing, now on some serious topic, 
then again on the general gossip of the day. 



52 THE LOST LINE 

Breaking away from the line of conversation they had 
been pursuing, Father O'Brien remarked familiarly: "Scan- 
Ion, I see by what transpired at the table to day, that Har- 
court is madly in love with the fair Senorita Lucretia; now 
what do you think of that for the priest of the leading parish 
of the Vatican City?'' 

"Yes, I no-ticed that myself", returned Father Scanlon, 
taking up the banter; "and I observed further that the fair 
lady recripocates the tenderness. I wonder now if this is his 
first affair?" 

"But Brothers", protested the young priest much 
abashed; "there is no use to talk about love to a priest for 
you know he foregoes everything of that nature and becomes 
a celibate when he takes the vows of the priesthood." 

The two older priests were so uproarious over this, 
Father O'Brien could scarcely fill the glasses from the bottle 
of wine that stood between himself and Father Scanlon. 
When they could control themselves sufficiently to drink. 
Father Scanlon remarked with a significant wink, smacking 
his lips over the choice vintage, "When our unspoiled 
brother here has learned to keep his sacred robes on, when 
on parade before the public, and manipulate his secret life 
to his own liking, he'll know that no desirable thing needs to 
be denied members of our order!" 

Father Harcourt arose saying, "Excuse me gentlemen, 
but I will not listen to such flippant remarks about as sacred 
a matter as this!" 

"Listen to that now will you Scanlon!" commented Father 
O'Brien, "the young man is getting to be as pious as the 
*devir of the so called Reformation; I wouldn't wonder if he 
starts a movement of h.is own one of these days!" 

Further hilarity on the part of these convivial sons of 
The Church was cut short by the entrance of the porter who 
announced, "Columbus, New Mexico is our next stop; see that 
all baggage is looked up!" 



CHAPTER V. 
THE LOVER'S ARROW 

When we reached Columbus on our return from the 
Builder's Headquarters the second day of the celebration, our 
first thought was of breakfast as our flight through the 
morning air had greatly augmented our appetites. 

Repairing to the Cafe DeAlbion where we had dined ithe 
evening before, I was much surprised to find the place gaily 
decorated, as were also the streets and buildings outside, with 
what suggested the life and customs of some of the Indian 
tribes as I had known them. 

Noticing my curiosity Senor Keeling volunteered, "This 
is Indian Day in the celebration; I beg your pardon for not 
speaking of it before, but there has been so much, it had not 
occurred to me to mention it." 

"I assure you no pardon is necessary,'' I returned, "for 
you surely have given more of your valuable time already, 
than you could well spare from your ardorous tasks, to 
answer my questions and enlighten me on matters pertaining 
to this strange age into which I have so mysteriously come. 
But if it is not imposing too much on your good nature I 
would be very glad indeed to have you tell me about how 
Indians came to have charge of affairs today, for the Indians 
as I remember them, were scarcely capable of taking upon 
themselves the responsibility of looking after a day's cele- 
bration in a city like this?" 

"But you must remember," Senor Keeling resumed, a 
good natured smile lighting his face, "that where then, there 
were thousands of them, now there are hundreds of thous- 
ands.*^ 

"But Senor Keeling, in that time many of them were of 
such a type we v/ould have felt it unsafe to have them near 
us, to say nothing of ihaving 'them take the lead at a time 
like this." 

Again a smile played over his features as he resumed; 
"But you must remember there has been time for marvelous 



54 THE LOST LINE 

changes since then." 

"Yes I can see that, for what I have seen since yesterday 
in 'the way of changes is enough to overwhelm one had not 
one such good substantial friends as Senora Keeling and 
yourself to steady and reassure one/' 

"Of course/' he went on, "While savagery and many 
of its attendant evils has gone, yet multitudes of the Indians 
are in the depths of poverty and squalid servitude as peons, 
where their physical, and in many instances their moral con- 
ditions, are w^orse than in the days of their savage tribal 
life." 

"But how and why is this?" I asked; "for I infer from 
what you have said you consider some of the present day 
Indians perfectly capable of taking charge of such an affair 
as this celebration, while others are wholly unfit?" 

"It is this way, as you will recall from your study of 
history, that in the latter half of the nineteenth century, a 
strong movement towards civilization set in, in many of the 
tribes of Indians: you saw some of it in the time in whch you 
observed the movement of events. Well this continued until 
many of them became as highly cultured as their white 
neighbors. As was also perfectly natural, many individual 
families became very wealthy. Generalh/ this v/ealth con- 
sisted in large holdings of lands and vast flocks and herds. 
As a result of this, they became influential and powerful, 
holding positions of honor and responsibility. So when the 
general subjection of the masses began, they v/ere able to 
hold their place in society; and naturally do some of the 
planning of celebrations and either events in church and 
state." 

"I am very much pleased that you have given me such 
a full explanation, I rejoined; for I must confess my old 
way of thinking led me to look upon the privilege the 
Indians enjoy today, a concession from the whites; for it Is 
hard for me to think of any others as belonging to the 
ruling class because of former environments and established 
restrictions in the social world." 

"But as you can very readily see from what has gone 



THE LOST LINE 55 

before in our conversation, the wealthy and cultured Indians 
would naturally be in the ruling class, for these The Church 
has always looked upon with favor. The same thing is true 
of the Negroes; they rose very rapidly after they were freed 
from slavery m 1863 and many of them became wealthy and 
powerful; and millions were able to hold their position when 
the time of stress came." 

"I thank you for this enlightening information,'' I said; 
"but there is one more question I would like to ask you. I 
saw a good many Indians and Negroes in the great throngs 
yesterday, and I was especially impressed with the fact that 
the Indians were of the same complexion and features as they 
were in those far off days, and it seemed to me I never saw 
Negroes so black as those I saw mingling with the merry 
makers yesterday; Why is this?" 

Senor Keeling ever ready to enlighten, explained: "The 
Indians liave preserved their racial life to a remarkable 
degree. Of course, Indians who have fallen into peonage 
intermarry with the white and black races, but this is not 
true of the wealthy Indians. Members of one tribe marry 
into the same class in other tribes, and in rare instances a 
v/ealthy young Indian v/ill chose a bride from an Indian Peon 
fmily, becuse of her peculiar beauty and personal charm and 
in much rarer instances a brilliant young Indian Peon is 
looked upon with favor by a wealthy family marrying into it 
thus rising to privilege and opportunity. What I have said 
of the Indian, may be said with equal force of the Negroes, 
For after they grew wealthy and cultured, intermarriage 
with the v/hite, and other races, was scorned by them/' 

The meal being over Senor Keeling suggested, as it was 
early, we fly over the city that we might view the prepara- 
tions for the day's entertainment. 

This Vv'e all heartily agreed to and in a few minutes were 
circling over Plaza, street and open space, at a height at 
which everything below was easily discernable. 

In what had been a vacant piece of ground the day 
before, there had sprung up during the night, a typical Indian 
village of the olden day<, of nearly a hundred tepees or 



56 THE LOST LINE 

lodges, made of a frame work of poles, covered with dressed 
skins. From the openings in the tops of these, the blue 
smoke curled upward as it did in those days when the ances- 
tors of these Indians obtained their living by hunting and 
fishing. 

In the streets of the village young men and maidens, 
boys and girls dressed in the costume of the Indians of past 
generations, gaily chatted, played at some old time games, 
or walked in groups up and down the irregular streets. 

In another vacant piece of ground, a great out door 
grill, or barbecue had been provised and over great pits 
half full of burning coals, on heavy gridirons, oxen and sheep, 
deer and elk from game preserves, young goats, in their 
dripping richness, and pigs, with large numbers of turkeys 
and other fowls, were being carefully roasted, for a barbecued 
dinner to be served to the merry makers at noon. 

Indians, assisted by their faithful peons, were slowly 
turning the brov/ning meats that they might be thoroughly 
cooked against the time of the feast. The savory oders from 
these rich viands filled all the air above the busy scene, mak- 
ing us eager for the coming of noon. 

"But what sports are the entertainers to put on today?" 
I asked, as we still had some time before the exhibitions 
were to begin and were spending it in a glimpse at the mag- 
nificent buildings of the city and the gay booths that had 
been erected for the fete. 

''The wealthy Indians," answered Senor Keeling, ''have 
also preserved a knowledge of many of the ancient customs 
of their peoples. Many practicing from childhood some of 
their feats of prowess and skill, especially horsemansihip and 
archery, until they become as efficient in them as were their 
warrior ancestors." 

An immense grand stand, facing the north and com- 
manding a full view of the grounds on which the exhibitions 
were to be given, had been erected with seating for thousands 
of men and women. 

Our party entered this early, sitting near the center of 
the second row of seats which was one of the amphetatrical 



THE LOST LINE 57 

arrangement, so the view was all that could be desired. 

A number of their ancient sports were put on for the 
amusement of the gay throngs that filled the stand to its 
capacity, the chief of which was horsemanship and archery, 
interest centering in the latter; for after the contest, which 
was open to all, was over, the two contestants having the 
largest number of points, were to contend for the champion- 
ship. 

The contestants for this, were of different tribes; Senor 
Grey Eagle of the Apaches, and Senor Black Wolf of the 
Yaquis, — both were suitors for the hand of Senorita Izora 
Wild Rose, daughter of a powerful member of the latter 
tribe. 

"Senor Wild Rose favored the suit of Black Wolf, as he 
was a Yaqui and very wealthy; but Senorita Izora, looked 
with favor on Grey Eagle. But knowing so well her father's 
dispos;ition, and his set purpose in the matter she had not 
dared as yet to brave his wrath, and accept the suit of the 
young Apaohe. 

When the moment arrived for the contest for the -'' 
pionship to begin, the gong sounded, and Black Wolf, attended 
by a faithful peon, with extra bow and a quiver full of arrows, 
stepped out of an improvised tent at the west end of the 
grand stand, and walked swiftly to ihis place on the field. 

A murmur of admiration ran through the vast throng at 
sight of him; he was easily six feet tall, weighing two hun- 
dred pounds; yet he moved with the agility of the Cougars on 
his own beloved mountains. 

He was clothed in a tight fitting suit of deer skin, soft 
as velvet, covered with fantastic shapes in bright colors. 

Reaching from his supple waist, half way to his knees, 
was a skirt made of the skins of humming birds that shim- 
mered in the sunlight. His feet were encased in moccasins 
covered with exquiste bead work; a necklace of wolf fangs 
encircled his sinewy neck; a magnificent head dress of bright 
feathers adorned his head and extended down his back, while 
a curiously wrought quiver filled with arrows hung across 
his back, and in his left hand he carried a powerful bow. 

But the young Indian seemed wholly unmoved in the 



58 THE LOST LINE 

presence of the multitudes, for he stood like a statue done in 
bronze till the gong sounded and a mechanical devise threw 
three small balls high in air. 

Quick as a flash of light, the contestant pulled an arrow 
from the quiver on his back, threw it on the string of his 
bow, and sent it whistling after the fartherest ball, cuting it 
in two. 

The second arrow picked up the second ball as it was 
falling to the ground and carried it far afield; but the third 
arrov/ missed the last ball by a margin that seemed no more 
than a hair's breadth and fell about three hundred yards 
away. 

The vast assembly seemed spell bound till the arrow had 
completed its flight; then it rose enrnasse and gave vent to 
applause that v/as deafening. 

But Black Wolk stood motionless; his face as immobile 
as the face of one of his native cliffs. 

The gong sounded again, and two snow white pigeons 
w^ere released and zigzaged their v/ay through the air glad 
of their liberty. But before the spectators realized what was 
happening, a shining shaft had caught the nearest pigeon 
beneath its wing, literally empaling it in midair; while a sec- 
ond arrow^ from the same trusty bow, severed the head of the 
second bird clean from it's body. 

Again the cheers broke forth; handkerchiefs were waved; 
hats throv/n in air, and the people seemed wild in their entilius- 
iasm. But the cheering ceased, and a breathless silence per- 
vaded the throng, as the stalwart archer turned slightly, so 
the sun shone full on his back and faced a small rod four 
feet high, a hundred paces distant, v/ith a ball as large round 
as a silver dollar on it's top. 

Taking the quiver from his back and laying it on the 
ground, he took out the remaining arrows examining them 
carefully,, selected one and threv/ the others at the feet of his 
attendant; then rising, he placed the chosen arrow on the 
bow, drew it back to the head, then slov/ly let the bow unbend; 
this he did several times, then raised it for the supreme 
effort. 



THE LOST LINE 59 

As he did this all the skill of years of practice; all the 
skill of ihis ancestors of a thousand generations, seemed to 
be concentrated on the arrow to send it straight to the mark; 
for as it slipped from the powerful thumb and forefinger of 
the archer it went forth like a thing of life; struck the ball 
in the center, cutting it in twain. 

The onlookers were silent till Senor Black Wolf handing 
his bow to the attendant bowed graciously and turned to 
leave the field. Then they broke loose in thunderous applause 
which was continued till he showed himself in the door of his 
tent which he had entered, bowing again and again. 

After a brief interval, in wich the necessary adjustments 
were made for the carrying on of the contest, the gong 
sounded and Senor Grey Eagle appeared, attended by a 
devoted peon and moved quickly to the spot occupied a few 
moments before by Black Wolf. 

He was slightly sm.aller than his rival, but in no other 
respect was he at a disadvantage; for his movements were as 
quick and graceful as a sparrow in it's flight. 

His dress was not as gorgeous as that of Black Wolf, 
but he too wore a tight fitting suit of deer skin, and ihis feet 
were covered with moccasins finished in beautifully figured 
bead work. 

His head dress beautiful in design, was of eagle feathers. 
A necklace of eagles' claws adorned his neck, and his short 
skirt was made from beautiful fawn skins, and an artistic 
girdle cunningly wrought from the skins of two monster 
rattlesnakes encircled his v/aist. 

There were exclamations of admiration from every quar- 
ter of the vast grand stand as he moved out to the field; but 
they were not so much for his costume and grace of move- 
ment. The people caught a glimpse of his noble face, and 
were struck by his ihndsome features that were as benevolent 
as those of a mother. 

V/hen the three balls were thrown into the air at the 
sound of the gong, three arrows, that a moment before had 
rested in the quiver on the back of Grey Eagle, flashed in the 
sunlight one after the other straight to the mark; for the 



60 THE LOST LINE 

fartherest ball was shivered into bits by the first arrow 
and the others were impaled each on a shining shaft. 

So quickly was the w^onderful feat accomplished, it was 
an instant before the spectators realized what had happened; 
but when the marvel of it dawned on them, they broke into 
wild cheers that fairly rent the air. 

The applause had not died out, when the gong again 
sounded, and two pigeons were released and flew swiftly out 
into the bright unlight. 

Grey Eagle drew bow to send an arrow after a fleeing 
bird, when there was a sharp twang, and the arrow fell fruit- 
less to the ground; for the string of his bow had broken! 

A veritable groan escaped the great throng for already 
Grey Eagle was it's favorite and the gay assemblage was sure 
of his victory. Now it was impossible; for the two pigeons 
were well on their way to their native cotes. 

But fully undaunted. Grey Eagle bowed graciously to the 
disappointed company, and turning to his attendant received 
a powerful bow at his hands, and selected an arrow from the 
extra quiver, that was a full yard in length, and made ready 
for the shot that might show his skill, but could not win the 
decision of the Judges. 

But as he was testing the bow before making his final 
effort, his fvorite horse, a spotted stallion, with silken tail 
and long flowing mane, who had won the races for his master 
in the early morning, had broken his tether and was charg- 
.inging across the field about three fourths of the way to the 
target, straight towards a group of peon children that were 
waching the feats of archery. 

These children had fallen back on either side, thus mak- 
ing way for the horse to pass, with the exception of one little 
girl who, panic stricken, stood as if transfixed right in the 
pathway of the frightened animal. 

V/e held our breath in anticipation of the sickening 
tragedy. Grey Eagle alone being master of himself; for, 
seeing what would happen, he drew the long arrow back to 
it^s head, while mighty biceps knotted, and the muscles of 
his neck played under the strain. Then there was a resound- 
ing twang and a hissing swish, as the arrow sped out from 



THE LOST LINE 61 

the bow like a shaft of ligiht striking the careering stallion in 
the temple, piercing the brain causing instant death. Yet so 
great was the momentum of the powerful animal, his body 
carried forward within a few feet of the bewildered child. 

A great sigh, like the sigh of a man suddenly delivered 
from imminent danger, or impending doom, escaped the 
relieved throng; but before we could give expression to our 
appreciation of this chivalourous deed, the skillful archer 
threw another arrow on his bow and sent it out over the body 
of his beloved ihorse straight to the little ball a hundred paces 
away, cutting it completely in two. 

Then the great throng became hysterical in its cheering; 
but, above every other sound could be heard the cry, "Grey 
Eagle! Grey Eagle!" That seemed to imply that whatever 
the decision of the judges might be in the matter of the 
championship, as far as the people were concerned. Grey 
Eagle had won it. 

At this point a bewitchingly beautiful young woman, 
dressed in the ancient costume of her people, stepped out from 
the throng of happy spectators, and hurried gracefully to the 
field and stood beside Grey Eagle. 

Her lovely face was lighted by a smile, but her lustrous 
black eyes bid defiance to her father's will, or to that of any 
one else who might oppose her choice! 

Then the great throng broke into wild cheering again, led 
by the Indians; for they knew Senorita Wild Rose had joined 
the Apaches! 



CHAPTER VI. 
THE CHALLENGE 

As there was no formal program of entertainment for 
the afternoon of Indian Day, each indivdual was free to 
spend the time as he might elect. 

Our party at the suggestion of Senora Keeling, went 
first to the "Village", where Indians versed in the ancient 
customs of their people, answered any questions we wished 
to ask about the tepees or lodges, or anything else on display. 

Passing out of this excellent representation of a primi- 
tive Indian Camp, w^e found seats near one of the numerous 
magnificient bands that were discoursing sweet music, where 
we listened to the masterpiece of an Indian Bethoven who 
told the sad thrilling history of his interesting people. 

At the conclusion of this marvelous music we strolled for 
a time among the gaily decked booths, but found however 
that the happy throngs of merry makers held a greater 
interest for us, than any of the decorations or wares on 
display. 

After a time, we turned into a booth that sold refresh- 
ments, and were seated at a private table enjoying cool drinks 
and refreshing ices, Avhen the crowds of pleasure seekers 
were throvvn into consternation and excitement, by a simul- 
taneous placarding of the city by dextrous peons detailed for 
the purpose. 

The first intimation our party had of it v/as, v/hen across 
the street from us a huge peon sprang upon a step ladder and 
fastened to the side of a booth a great handbill he received 
from the hands of a fellow peon. The bill read as follows: 

A SALE OF INDULGENCES. 

At the hour of three, Father Ignacio Hernandez, 
the authorized representative of the holy father will 
grant to any and to all who desire it, for certain sums 
of money in hand, the privilege to commit any act he 
may desire to commit; or absolution from any crime 
already committed. Said sale to be held in the plaza 



THE LOST LINE 63 

beside the image of the pope. Similar sales will be held 
in all cities throughout the world where this celebration is 
being observed. 

Ordered and authorized by the holy father, at the 
seat of the Papal See, Washington, D. C. the Seventh 
month, 6th day, Anno Domini MMXXIII. 
Antigua Pappello, 

Papal Secretary. 

Each member of our party was silent for a brief space, 
as though carefully scanning the placard to make sure he 
read aright. 

Senora Keeling was the first to speak, for turning to her 
husband she asked with a voice tremulous with emotion: 
*'What do you think of that? We knev/ the situation was 
bad enough, but who among us dreamed it had come to this ? 
The one claiming to be the Vicar of Christ on the earth, 
offering to sell for sordid gold the privilege to sin!!" 

The throngs about us were evidently discussing the 
astounding announcement, for a bable of sounds reached our 
ears; yet so guarded had Senor Keeling learned to be, that 
he answered in an undertone^ ^That will set the world on fire, 
for there are holy men who will not keep still though flames 
or the dungeon av/ait lihem. Such methods as this, solely for 
gain, v/ill arouse the sleeping neutrals, so our cause will 
move forv/ard to victory; or it opens the gates to swift and 
certain ruin." "But", he counseled, ''let us hasten to the place 
of this sale." and hailing the pilot of a small service airship, 
v/e stepped into it, and were soon at our destination. 

We v/ere among the first to arrive, and were fortunate 
to find comfortable seats near the platform that had been 
erected for the accommodation of Father Hernandez and his 
secretaries. 

The priest was already on the platform directing arrange- 
ments for the strange sale. 

I was much pleased at this, for I Vv-as curious to see the 
type of man that would be chosen for this work; yet I was 
w^holly unprepared for what I saw; a well fed, suave, polished 
son of the Church; a perfect counterpart of many priests I 



64 THE LOST LINE 

had known in those far off days I had left so strangely, or 
that might be found in the parishes of the country at that 
very time. 

When a great clock in a nearby tower boomed out the 
hour of three, Father Hernandez stepped to the front of the 
platform, smiling and gracious, and thus addressed the great 
throng. 

"Faithful and obedient children of the Church; I greet 
you in the name of the holy father, whose blessing I bring 
you. 

"As you have seen by the placards that fill the city, I 
am here to offer you for a specified sum of money the priv- 
ilege to commit any act or acts you may be desirous of com- 
mitting. 

"The act that will rid you of an enemy, or so adjust your 
social or financial conditions, as to make it very advantageous 
to you. 

"These privileges are attested by the signature and seal 
of the holy father, so none need be in any doubt as to their 
validity. These privileges may be granted for a specific act, 
or for the repetition of the act, for the period of one year. 

"You can arrange matters with my secretaries who will 
inform you as to the prices set by the holy father on these 
indulgences. The sale is now open." 

And with a look on his face like that seen on the face of 
a man who feels he has done his work well, he was ready to 
leave the platform; when a young man of magnificent build, 
dressed in the garb of a priest, moved out into the open 
space in front of the platform, raised his right arm and point- 
ing a steady finger full at the face of Father Hernandez, 
cried out in clear and defiant tones, while his eyes flashed 
fire in their very intensity. 

"I challenge this whole proceeding!" 

His face glowed with what men have called "The Solar 
Light." A smile played about his mouth like the smile that 
sometimes plays on the lips of an avenger as he strikes the 
blow that is to avenge a great wrong! 

"Father Harcourt of Washington City", Senor Keeling 



THE LOST LINE 65 

announced under his breath, as we bent forward to catch 
every act in this thrilling scene. 

"I challenge this whole proceeding'', the young priest 
continued, "in the name of God whose I am, and whom I 
serve!'' 

*'I challenge it in the name of the Church ci which I 
profess to be an obedient and faithful son. 

"I challenge it because there is none that can forgive sin 
but God alone; and he has so bound himself up with right- 
eousness and justice that he cannot forgive except when his 
all-seeling eye beholds a broken and contrite spirit in the 
one pleading for mercy and pardon. And I challenge it 
because if none can forgive sins but God alone, surely man 
cannot grant to his fellows the privilege to commit sin!!" 

So quickly had all this occurred, Father Hernandez 
seemed to be taken completely by surprise; for he stood per- 
fectly still gazing at the audacious young priest. 

But as Father Harcourt turned slightly to address some 
words more directly to the wondering throngs, the spell was 
broken and the vender of things moral shouted: 

"Is this thing to be allowed here? can this sale, ordered 
by the Vatican, be hindered by anyone, who desires to do so ? 

"Is there no officer of the day present to prevent such 
shameful and outrageous treatment of a representative of his 
holiness ? 

"Are the true and brave sons of the Church going to 
stand silently by and allow the holy father to be insulted by 
calling his pov/er in question ? Will nobody lay hands on this 
disturber?" 

While Father Hernandez was delivering this harangue. 
His Excellency, the Governor of New Mexico was moving 
towards the platform, and when the enraged Hernandez 
finished his call for help, said, "No one shall lay hands on this 
priest of God. Free speech will remain unquestioned in this 
state while I am it's e xecutive; especially when it is a chal- 
lenge of such iniquitous proceedings as ths sale of ndul- 
gences!" 

Then addressing his aids decamp he ordered, "Conduct 
Father Harcourt in safety to my airship." 



66 THE LOST LINE 

But the mob spirit had been aroused by what Father 
Hernandez had said, and through the excited throngs could be 
heard; "Let us get at him!'^ "Strike him down!^' "Kill the 
disturber, Kill him!" and several men started towards Father 
Karcourt, led by a man with a heavy cane upraised to strike 
him down, 'ere the Governor's aids could intercept them! 

Seeing what would happen unless quick help was given, 
a young man dark of skin, in immaculate duck, left his place 
beside a young woman, and with the agility and swiftness of 
a panther bounded across the intervening space, caught the 
would-be assassin with a strong right hand just as he was 
about to carry out his murderous purpose, and with a lightn- 
ing like movement, in which his right limb figured promi- 
nently, threv/ him a complete somersault. 

Once more the cry of the morning rang out on the air, 
"Grey Eagle! Grey Eagle!" 

This thrilling deliverance of Father Harcourt by the 
idol of the morning, checked the mob spirit for a moment, and 
'ere a new leader could rally the baffled forces, the Governor's 
aids closed about the endangered priest and with drawn 
swords conducted him out of the excited throng to v/here the 
Governor's private air ship v/as in waiting. 

They were closely followed by the Governor and Grey 
Eagle who were not satisfied 'till they were sure he had 
reached the protection of the airship where he would be 
safe at least for a time. 

"Here Senor Sherwood said, "Father Harcourt let me 
congratulate you on that almost miraculous deliverance; and 
I wish to present my friend, Senor Grey Eagle who was the 
instrument in that gracious work." 

"I surely thank you Senor Grey Eagle for your timely 
interception of my would-be assassin; for these gentlemen tell 
me that in a moment more I would have been killed. God 
surely gave you swiftness of foot and steady nerves for that 
marvelous work of deliverance. I am under a life long grati- 
tude to you, under God, for your part in it." 

"Surely it was nothing. Father Harcourt," responded Grey 
Eagle, as he took the proffered hand of the priest shaking it 
cordially; "I was in some of the contests of our people this 



THE LOST LINE 67 

forenoon and had just gotten my blood up, and your predica- 
ment gave an opportunity to work off some of the surplus 
energy, by that manipulatin in wrestling practiced by my 
ancestors for many generations. But I would have risked 
everything to protect one of God's priests who so bravely 
stands for the truth. I am at your service in anyway in 
which I may be able to help.'' 

"Thank you, Senor Grey Eagle; I am under everlasting 
gratitude to both you and the Governor here, for your cham- 
pionship of the truth; and I think I may safely say they who 
seek the harm of one of us, will seek it for all. So our for- 
tunes to some extent at least, must of necessity be thrown 
together for the future." 

As quickly as it was possible, the Governor and family, 
Father Harcourt, Senora Kesterson and daughter, set out 
for "Maysfield'^ Senor Sherwood's summer home, situated in 
the mountains about one hundred miles north of the city; 
Grey Eagle and his bride of the day, following in their own 
airship, and after an uneventful trip of something over an 
hour, found themselves at their destination in one of the 
loveliest spots in New Mexico. 

By the time the Governor and his party were ready to 
leave for Maysfield a representative of "The Universal Press 
Association", placed a detailed account of the priest's chal- 
lenge of the Sale of Indulgences, his thrilling rescue from 
mob violence, by the Apache, and his protection by the Gov- 
ernor of the State, in the hands of the wireless operator, who 
sent it out to be received in all the chief cities of the globe; 
and in a few moments it was being put into type for the next 
hourly edtions of the newspapers, while thousands of edi- 
torials were being written on the event, to be published as 
soon as they were ready. 

When dinner was served in the Governor's home that 
evening the conversation was so skillfully directed by host 
and hostess, no one would have surmised the merry company 
had witnessed an event that afternoon that had not only 
Ciiaged the whole course of their lives, but the the course of 
the life of the world itself. 



68 THE LOST LINE 

But when dinner was over the men withdrew to the 
library, and when once with in its seclusion, all attempts at 
gaiety were thrown off; for each knew there were serious 
times ahead of them, and all the friends of righteousness as 
well. 

Father Harcourt realizing the gravity of the situation, 
brought about by his act of the afternoon, felt an explanation 
of his course was due his two valiant friends who had volun- 
tarily cast in their lot with his, said, "I could have taken a 
different way to challenge that iniquitous sale, one that would 
not have involved me in so much immediate danger, nor made 
it necessary for my friends to jeopardize their lives and 
interests in my defense. I could have written against the 
sale, and in time this would have reached the world. But I 
knew from the time I learned the holy father had ordered the 
Sale of Indulgences I could not witness such a sale without 
challenging it. Perhaps after all though, this was the better 
way; for a multitude of people heard my condemnation of the 
sale, and my reasons for it.^' 

"You need have no regrets on that score,'' commented 
the Governor, "for a more effective way could not have been 
chosen if you ihad deliberately planned it; for we must believe 
that through the activities of the news venders, it has been 
disseminated to the four corners of the earth; and if I am 
not seriously mistaken, the entire world is discussing the 
whole affair at this very moment.'' 

"But this Sale of Indulgences", interposed Senor Grey 
Eagle, "I do not understand it at all. I can not see how the 
holy father can do it. If you will be so kind Father Harcourt 
as to explain on what grounds he bases his right to do such 
an astonishing thing as to sell the privilege to commit sin^ 
I will greatly appreciate it." 

"In the first place", answered the priest, "we must 
remember this is not the first time indulgences have been 
sold. Several popes, centuries ago, sold the privilege to com- 
mit sin to those who could pay the price; and to some extent 
it has been practiced through the centuries since that time. 
For any priest who confesses a man, and knows in his heart 
that the one seeking pardon is not truly repentant, and in^ 



THE LOST LINE 69 

tends to go out and repeat the crime, is for the fee, and 
through his prayer and blessing, granting the privilege of 
sinning. 

"But the grounds, on which the right to sell indulgences 
is based is found in the pernicious doctrine that reads like 
this: ^All the good works of the Saints, over and above those 
which were necessary for their own justification, are deposited, 
together with the infinite merits of Christ, in one nexhaust- 
ible treasury. The keys of this treasury were committed to 
St. Peter, and to his successors the popes, who may open it 
at pleasure, and by transferring a portion of this superabund- 
ant merit to any particular person, for the sum of money, 
may convey to him either the pardon of his own sins, or a 
release for anyone in whose happiness he is interested from 
the pains of purgatory. 

"And it may be interesting to you to know that they 
who cried the Sale of Indulgences in those far off times, 
taught their dupes that, Hhe souls confined in purgatory for 
whose redemption indulgences were purchased as soon as the 
money tinkles in the chest, instantly effect their escape from 
that place of perpetual torment, and ascend into heaven.' 
"Also it was taught that, *the efficiency of indulgences was 
so great, that the most heinous sins would be remitted and 
expiated by them.' "As I understand it, the present pope 
grounds his right to order these sales, on these doctirnes." 

Father Harcourt was just finishing his explanation when 
the Governor's private secretary appeared at the door of the 
library and announced, "An editorial, your Excellency, from 
the 'Criterion,' of Washington City", that had just been 
received by the wireless operator. 

The Governor was plainly embarrassed by the editorial, 
for instead of reading it to his guests, he continued to scan 
the astonishing production. 

The priest surmising the cause of his host's embarrass- 
ment arose, passed over to where he was waiting, saying with 
a smile, "Let me see it Senor Sherwood." The priest receiving 
it at his hand, read: 



70 THE LOST LINE 

THE HOLY FATHER GROSSLY INSULTED! 

The readers of The Criterion were fully informed 
in the seven o'clock edition, of the disgraceful scene 
enacted at Columbus, New Mexico, this afternoon. 

The upstart of a priest who precipitated this scene, 
to our suiame be it said, is in charge of the most in- 
fluential parish of this city; but this paper has it from 
authority that is unquestionable that the holy father 
through the proper channels will see to it that he is sum- 
marily removed from the parish, unfrocked, excommuni- 
cated and anathematized, as v/ill also all those who give 
him shelter, or befriend him in any way. 

It has come to our ears from time to time that this 
self constituted judge of all the good, has affected a 
sancity above his brethren, and has condemned publicly 
and in private good works as prescribed by the Church, 
as a ground of Salvation; claiming there is no merit, 
whatever in works of righteousness accruing to the one 
who performs them, and that he puts forth constantly 
a saying of Paul. ^Therefore being justified by faith we 
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
Thus sweeping away at one stroke, penance, the prayers 
of the priest, the intercession of saints, and of Mary 
the mother of God! 

This priest who has thus disgraced himself, evidently 
thinks, the holy father vvill call a great council, summon 
him to it, where he would have opportunity to air his 
views in a spectacular answer to the charge of heresy 
and insubordination that would be preferred against him; 
but in this he will be signally dsapponted; for the holy 
father v/ill employ no such methods, but will nip in the 
bud this, or any other effort to resist his will! 

"Well Senor Grey Eagle/'' commented the Governor 
gaily, ^*it seems to be as the Padre said; v/e are all in the 
same class. I suppose 'ere the sun goes down tomorrow 
night, v/e v/ill be excommunicated and given over to Satan 
for the destruction of the flesh. But I do not think that ter- 
rifies us very much. I think they will find us in the front 



THE LOST LINE 71 

ranks, vAien the smoke clears, as they have found us in many 
a political battle; is it not so?'* 

"It is your Excellency; this is the beginning- of a battle 
for rghteousness and truth that must usher in a better day. 
I am in this fight while life lasts, with all I have and ." 

*'Here the Secretary reappeared, announcing: "Another 
Editorial, your Excellency from The Noonday', of London 
England". 

This the Governor read w^ithout hesitation. 

A BRAVE CHAMPION OF THE TRUTH! 

As our readers noted by the last edition. Father 
Harcourt, a brilliant young priest of Washington City, 
D. C, virtually took his life in his hands in denouncing 
the iniquitous Sale of Indulgences at Columbus in the 
State of New Mexico, Columbia. This required a courage 
cf the highest type, for he knew it meant the loss of 
everything the Church had to offer, and probably life 
itself. So carefully has the Church eliminated from 
the world all references to it's past, derogatory to it's 
character, that but few know there was a time, centuries 
ago, w'hen this same disgraceful condition had been 
reached, and a brave monk challenged it, bringing in by 
his faithful j3reaching of salvation v/ithout works, the 
Reformation. Through this simple teaching, salvation 
by faith in Jesus Christ, the v/orld took on new life and 
reached the highest point in civilization the race has 
seen so far. 

As long as the Schism this Reformation resulted in, 
called, "Protestantism", was true to the doctrine of sal- 
vation, by simple faith in Christ, it's indirect influence, 
on the Church v/as sufficient to hold it in check. But in 
time. Protestantism began to neglect the truth that gave 
her existence, and finally gave it up by easy stages, and 
was absorbed by the Church again; and as a result, we 
see the deplorable situation of the present time, and, the 
holy father, whose seat should be among the stars, is 
down in the dust crawling and creeping at the feet of 



72 THE LOST LINE 

base treacherous men, like a penny beggar, whining for 
their poluted gold. 

We can truly say, "the fight is on!'' The greatest 
fight since the world began, and no one can be neutral; 
The Noonday does not have the faintest desire to be 
neutral; we are in the battle to fight to a finish the 
despicable practice that characterizes the Church at the 
present time, and would clasp hands with our brave young 
brother across the seas, and pledge to stand shoulder to 
shoulder in this glorious fight for righteousness till 
victory comes! 

As the Governor finished the reading of this ringing 
editorial, the three men were on their feet, their facs war- 
ing a determined look, pledging each other anew as they 
clasped hands, for the long bitter fight they knew was before 
them; but so encouraged by the brave brotherly utterances of 
this editor of one of the leading journals of the world, they 
could go again to their task, which involved the outlining of 
plans of defense, as well as attack on their relentless foe, 
continuing at the work far into the night. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE ENCYCLICAL 

For a little time after the airships bearing the Governor 
and his party left for Maysfield, there was a good deal of 
excitement and confusion among those who sought to do 
Father Harcourt bodily injury; for they ran here and there 
seeking him, and were slow to believe when told that 
through the quick action of the Governor and his aidesdecamp 
he had escaped out of their hands. 

At the platform however, where the sales were being con- 
ducted everything went on as though nothing had happened; 
for the half dozen secretaries who assisted Father Hernandez 
were busy as they could be negotiating with the people, ex- 
plaining terms and prices, and receiving money for the 
privilge to commit the acts that would bring the hoped for 
pleasure to the purchasers, or put them in the position so- 
cially or financially where their ambitions could be fulfilled. 

This continued till late in the evening, thousands of 
dollars passing into the hands of the representatives of his 
holiness. 

We were greatly surprised that there was no more ex- 
citement manifested over the challenge of the pope's author- 
ity to grant indulgences, made by Father Harcourt; for the 
celebration went on during the three remaining days as 
though nothing ihad occurred out of the usual order. 

It was true the newspapers made much of it; thousands 
of editors denouncing the champion of righteousness in as 
bitter and vindictive editorials as the pen of man could 
write, while there were other papers, hundreds of them, and 
some of them the most powerful and influential in the world, 
that carried editorials praising his action and pledging him 
their fullest support in the fight for the truth. 

We commented on this lack of excitement and felt it 
was ominous; that there was a hidden hand guiding the 
course of things. 

About ten o'clock the evening of the last day of the 
celebration, Senor Keeling left one of the largest office build- 



74 THE LOST LINE 

ings of the city where he had just completed an errand, 
hastily crossed the thoroughfare the building faced, and as he 
was over due at the airship where we anxiously awaited his 
coming; turned into a deserted side street that offered a 
desirable short cut, and was hurrying along this, when there 
fluttered down out of the upper air a long piece of paper that 
settled to the sidewalk almost at his feet. 

Seeing it was printed matter he picked it up, folded it 
into it's original s.hape and placed it in the inside pocket of 
his coat. 

This he did not do however until tie found it was an 
important message from the holy father himself; an encycli- 
cal letter to the priests. 

"When Senor Keeling arrived, we saw he was in excellent 
spirits, and as our good ship arose and sped away for Head- 
quarters, his feelings manifested themselves in a decided 
chuckle. 

^'Why my dear, what pleases you so?'' inquired his wife. 
"Here v/e were expecting you vvould be almost ill from the 
strain of the last fev/ days, and instead of that, you are as 
gay as a boy; please tell us what amuses you so that we may 
laugh with you, for we are full of apprehension ? " 

"I am thinking of a sick padre we left behind in the 
city tonight," and the usually sober man shook with laughter. 

"For Shame Senor!*' his wife protested, "a priest sick, 
and you laughing over it. I cannot understand you tonight." 

"Oh, he's not confined to his bed; but instead I fancy he 
is running up and dov/n a certain street looking for an 
encyclical letter the wind must have snatched out of his 
hands, carried up over some buildings, dropping it at my feet 
and which at this favorable moment rests in the pocket of my 
coat." 

"But the unfortunate priest need not worry long," com- 
mented Senora Keeling, "for v/e can restore it to him the 
next time we are in the city". 

"Oh, for that matter, I could start back with it in the 
morning, after reading it carefully of course to see what his 
holiness is up to, for if I am not mistaken it contains infor- 
mation that will be very valuable to the cause of Freedom; 



THE LOST LINE 75 

and besides/' he added with another chuckle. "I do not 
know what priest lost it; and I am certain neither he nor the 
holy father would wish me to advertise it.'' 

AVhen we arrived at Headquarters so intent was Senor 
Keeling on learning the full contents of the encyclical that, 
though his wife insisted he should immediately retire, for the 
rest he so sorely needed, he unfolded the letter and read 
while the rest of us listened with almost breathless interest 
to very word of the remarkable message. 

To our devoted brethren the priests in peace and 
communion with the Apostolic See. 

Pius XVIII. Pope. 
Faithful Brethren: 

Health and Apostolic Benediction. 

You are already, we think, well aware, holy breth- 
ren, of the disgraceful affair at Columbus, New Mexico, 
v/here the insolent priest, from this city, made an out- 
rageous attack on our representative Father Hernandez 
in a Sale of Indulgences, and the disturbance it has caused 
throughout the earth. 

The storm raised is severe, and will doubtless in- 
crease; yet it's fury can be checked and it's sweep stopped 
altogether, if God's favor is granted us, coupled with the 
most diligent and faithful effort of all who have the 
welfare of the Church at heart. 

To this glorious and certain triumph of righteous- 
ness over evil; of our authority over lawlessness none 
can contribute as much as the priests, to whom has been 
granted in the good providence of God the opportunity 
to bring to naught the wicked devices of designing men 
and further the interests of the Church, by that instru- 
mentality — The Confessional — for of all the agencies 
employed by the Church none has served our purpose 
as fully as this blessed instrument; for through it w e 
wring the inmost secrets of men's souls from them for 
our inspection and great p roiit. 

So at confession, you are to sound every man that 
comes to you as to his attitude towards this perfidious 



76 THE LOST LINE 

attack on our authority; and if he has any inclination 
favorable to the schism you are to draw out every iota 
of information he carries concerning* it. And you must 
also sound every man concerning his connection with the 
political movemet among the laboring classes, that be it 
said to their everlasting shame, includes the despised 
peons; and if you are sure you have before you a man 
that carries important secrets, we must have for our 
well being, and he refuses to divulge them, you know 
your weapon; refusal to absolve \^all bring to time; but 
if he is stubborn, shake hell about his ears; picture to 
him the lurid fires of eternal torment, to which you can 
consign him at a word, where no sums of money however 
large, will suffice to buy prayers for the deliverance of 
his soul; and if he still refuses to divulge, there are 
means by which he can be made to reveal them; and you 
are to go to any lengths to get hold of what he knows. 

As for us, we expect to make no replies to Senor 
Harcourt, or the fiery editorials written by those editors 
who would be his champions. Silent contempt will be our 
attitude. 

We have already excommunicated and anathematized 
this renegade priest who was once to us as the apple of 
our eye. And of course h e will be removed out of the 
way as the penalty he must pay for insubordination. 

This however will not be done immediately, but after 
the storm abates somewhat; then he will disappear as 
quickly and as effecively as though the earth had opened 
her mouth and swallowed him up, and the story will 
filter out through the earth that the opostate awaking 
to the normity of his crime, wandered away in shame and 
dispair and perished in some lonely mountain wilds. 

As to those who have defended and sheltered him, 
we know their political aspirations and will see that 
their highest ambitions are thwarted. And those editors 
who wrote defending his course, we have a way by which 
we can make them feel our hand; and when gold and 
patronage are not forthcoming, their enthusiasm for a 
dying cause will wane. 



THE LOST LINE 77 

So resting securely in the knowledge that you will 
faithfully perform your God given tasks, that the disturb- 
ers of the tranquility of the Church may be completely 
defeated in their purpose to being about a world wide 
schism; and that your faithful work will also defeat 
those demagogues, who would lead the masses to victory 
in the coming election. 

As an earnest of divine gifts and a pledge of our 
benevolence, we impart from our heart to you all faith- 
ful brethren, the Apostolic Benediction. 

Given at St. Peter's in Washington City on the 8th 
day of July in the year 2023, and the fifteenth year of our 
Pontificate. 

Pius XVIIL Pope. 

When Senor Keeling finished the reading of this deliver- 
ance, silence reigned for a few moments for each knew we 
had fallen on perilous lines; that truly the battle was on 
between truth and freedom on the one hand, and the forces 
of tyi^anny and darkness on the other. 

"0, husband!'' exclaimed Senora Keeling, her dark eyes 
suffused with tears, "this is terrible; I have had good hopes of 
the success of our cause until now; but this seems the death 
knell of all our dreams; for you know the Church is practically 
all pov/erful and they are going to leave nothing undone to 
keep the groveling millions of men, women and children in 
the wretched squalor and ignorance with which they are now 
engulfed. 

"And you can see what the purposes and plans of the 
pope, I cannot say, his holiness, any more; it seems to border 
on blasphemy, are, concerning Father Harcourt's disposal, as 
foul and cruel as could be devised by the fiercest brigands 
from the mountains! So if he and his tools can possibly pre- 
vent it there is to be no moral uplift; so we cannot hope for 
help from those whom we expect would be aroused from their 
lethargy by such an awakening, to see the needs of the down 
trodden millions and all rally to their standard. O, husband, 
what shall wc do? What SHALL we do?" 

"Yes, wife, the outlook is dark enough, but the situation 



78 THE LOST LINE 

is no worse than it was before this letter fell into my hands; 
we are certainly greatly blest in securing this full text of 
the holy father's plans so we know how to direct our fight!" 

^'But, Senor Keeling, if you will pardon me", I asked. 
"How do you suppose to combat the Church, that is so well 
organized and has such a heartless plan of action outlined? 
To me as with Senora Keeling, the task seems quite impos- 
sible." 

"The plan of action will be determined by the executive 
councils of the two orders, the Avengers and the Builders; 
but as I see it at least, the first thing after these councils 
meet, will be to acquaint Father Harcourt with what is 
determxined against his life; for I feel certain that if he can 
be preserved f rom the wrath of his enemies, this fire kindled 
by him will burn so brightly and spread so rapidly, the holy 
father will be compelled to notice it ;though he flatters him- 
self that by ignoring it, it will soon die out." 

Before retiring Senor Keeling had a few moments 
audience with the president of the Builders, and a fast airship 
bearing a message to Senor Manchester, head of the Avengers 
sped away to the Headquarters of that order; and before 
daylight, he and his executive council were on hand for a 
joint meeting with the officers of the Builders. 

The day was a busy one crowded full with deliberations 
the encyclical letter made necessary. 

It was -unanimously decided that Senor Keeling go at once 
to the summer home of the Governor of New Mexico and lay 
before Father Harcourt and his friends there, the pope's 
plans concerning him, and offer him the shelter of the 
Builders headquarters. 

As the Governor and Senora Sherv/ood had kindly invited 
me to visit them with Senor and Senora Keeling, and as these 
two friends who had so kindly given me welcome and care in 
their hospitable home since my arrival in their strange realm, 
urged me to go with them, I gladly accepted their invitation. 

Accordingly when darkness came on we set out for Mays- 
field in the fastest air ship at Headquarters. A ship built for 
perilous trips; for use only in great emergencies. It was 



THE LOST LINE 79 

manned by the most skillful and inrepid pilot and a careful 
alert observer. 

It was late when we arrived at Maysfield and the great 
summer house ablaze with light was in itself a wonderful 
welcome to the weary pilgrims of the air; but it's beauty 
and light so cheering to us were only harbingers of the 
warm welcome given us by it's master and mistress. 

But notwithstanding the lateness of the hour, Senor 
Keeling felt liis errand of such importance he asked for an 
immediate audience with the Governor, Senor Grey Eagle and 
Father Harcourt. 

This interview lasted till way after midnight. Every 
phase of the situation being carefully considered. 

The invitation borne by Senor Keeling, was accepted by 
Father Harcourt; for it seemed clear to all that he should 
live for the time in complete seclusion; and from that place 
of retirement, carry on his fight for righteousness through 
that portion of the press of the world friendly to the cause. 

When the business of the interview was ended. Father 
Harcourt said, "There are several things in the policy outlined 
in this encyclical that are just as I would hve expected them 
to be; I felt certain they v/ould seek my life; and either the 
lives, or the ruin of the plans of those who would shelter or 
befriend me. And we must not for one moment flatter our- 
selves that they are idle threats; they expect to carry them 
out to the very letter. If we escape, it will be because of 
eternal vigilance on our part, and that of our friends, and the 
mercy and favor of God. I think I may safely say that the 
one instrumentality we are to fear more than any other in 
our fight for righteousness and industrial freedom is the 
Confessional. For as the pope declares this has ever been the 
most effective weapon of the Church to advance it's interests 
and thwart all the plans of those who v/ould in any way 
take issue with it's course of action. 

"Through the confessional, by threats to withold absolu- 
tion. Kings and Emperors have been made, against their own 
consciences, to do the will of the Church to the very letter. 

"One of the most notable cases of this is Louis XIV. 
King of France. He had committed some grevious sin, of 



80 THE LOST LINE 

which his Confessor La Chaise made much; picturing to the 
distressed king the fires of eternal torment to which he would 
surely be consigned if not absolved from it; but refused him 
absolution, unless the unhappy monarch would grant him a 
commission to murder all the Protestants in his realm in one 
day. 

"Now if the Confessional has had such a power over the 
enlightened, what must be it's hold on the unelightened ? 

"So we can get some sort of an idea of what we have 
to combat when we think of the millions of degraded peons in 
v/hose souls generations of abject servitude and wretched 
squalor have killed out almost every instinct but that of fear. 

"At confession the priests will have access to them as 
no others can even hope to h ave; and there they will make 
merchandise of these poor wretches' hopes of eternal felicity^ 
to defeat those of us who would lift them up morally and in- 
dustrially. The Church is responsible more than any other 
agency, unless it were sluggish and luke warm Protestantism 
— that repudiated the simple truth that gave it birth and 
once freed the world from moral and social bondage — for the 
condition of the submerged millions; and they would keep 
them where they can exploit them to their own advantage. 
Oh, if we only had some power we could use for the uplift and 
blessing of the down trodden as the Church uses this power 
for their subjection, what good could be accomplished by it; 
but we have not, and somehow we must, WE MUST overcome 
this terrible force for evil." 

"But Father Harcourt," interposed Senor Grey Eagle, "I 
soever experienced anything like what is outlined in this 
encyclical, when at Confession; I cannot uderstand it." 

"No you have not; and why? Because you as a wealthy 
young man were liberal with your money, and were never 
under the slightest suspicion of hiding anything from the 
Church, much less opposing it in anyv/ay. If however, instead 
of delivering me from the hand of the assassin, as you did at 
Columbus the other day, you had simply expressed some 
words of sympathy for my work, or me; the next time you 
had gone to confession, you would have had hell shaken about 
your ears, and absolution would have been denied you, unless 



THE LOST LINE 81 

you so humiliated yourself before your Confessor, in recanta- 
tions and promises, the free spirit that has characterized your 
race for generations, v/ould have been completely broken be- 
fore absolution would be granted you; and even then, this little 
break with their absolute power and dominion over your 
soul and body v/ould be held against you, for future advan- 
tages to the Church. For the tiger may be docile enough, 
and purr contentedly while unopposed; but let one arouse it, 
by offering to take away it's prey, or otherwise interfere 
with it's plans, and out from those soft paws, apparently as 
innocent as a baby's fist, issue instantly the terrible claws 
dealing ruin and death." 

As Father Harcourt finished his startling answer to 
Senor Grey Eagle's question, the Governor arose, walked 
quickly over to where the priest sat, extended his hand, his 
face wreathed in smiles saying, "Senor Harcourt, I salute 
you; for if we are to believe the holy father — the policy 
however outlined in this encyclical does not well comport 
with his title — you are nov/ one of us; a Layman." 

"Thnk you, your Excellency", returned the young man, 
rising, his face also beaming; "I think however Senor Sher- 
wood, you are a little out of the way in your classification; 
for if we accept the holy father's action as having anything 
to do with it, I now belong to the devil." 

His three friends laughed heartily over this bit of humor, 
glad that in the shadow of the danger that now stalked him, 
he was so cheerful and courageous. 

"We are sure of one thing," commented Senor Grey 
Eagle, "before you and your helpers get through with this 
fight the holy father will be convinced wherever you belong, 
you can build a mighty hot fire." 

"Thank you Senor Grey Eagle, I think from the character 
of some of the editorials in yesterday's papers, he is already 
satisfied the fire is not going out as easily as he would have 
the priests believe in this encyclical." 

"And with His Excellency here, as we hope, heading the 
national ticket," added Senor Keeling, "and Senor Grey Eagle 
the ticket in this state, we trust the Industrial pary will win 
at the polls in November; then from that vantage ground, we 



82 THE LOST LINE 

can push on the fight till, the moral and industrial freedom of 
the race is assured.* 

"But brothers!'' playfully remarked the Governor, "have 
you forgotten there are only nine days until the National 
Convention meets in Chicago? I am sure the v^ay Senor 
Keeling has been going night and day, since the celebration 
opened at Columbus, he should have some sleep before that 
time; aad for his sake enjoyable as this fellowship is, we 
should retire/' 



CHAPTER VIII. 
LOVE'S CHOICE 

In the afternoon of the day following our arrival at 
Maysfield Father Harcourt and Senorita Kesterson, were 
strolling leisurely through the Governor's magnificent gar- 
den, apparently as gay as the birds that sported in the trees 
above them; but each of them was carrying a heavy heart. 

Pausing at the fountain in the center of the garden where 
a massive life like bronze lion, as if in anger, spouted from 
his great mouth the water that made every nook and comer 
of the beautiful enclosure literally bloom as the rose, the 
young man said, "Senorita Lucretia, let us go over to that 
rustic seat yonder, under that flowering vine; for I have 
some serious things to say to you, and I am afraid you would 
be wearied before I finish, if we kept up this stroll." 

When they were comfortably seated in the delightful 
shade, he resumed, "The first thing is, I am going away; and 
you must not ask me where." 

"0, Fther Harcourt, you are surely not serious in this?*' 
the young woman interposed in evident alarm. 

"I was never more serious in my life!" and then he 
added with a smile, "you must not address me as, Father, any 
more; for as I anticipated, I have been excommunicated, and 
am now not even a layman; just a plain citizen having no 
relation to The Church only as it's anthematized enemy." 

"But Senor Harcourt!" the frightened girl enquired, "this 
is all the punishment the holy father intends inflicting on you 
is it not?" 

"If it were, it would be easy to meet, for I could ignore 
it as I can some of the other professions of his holiness." 

"Is it possible then that what you feared is determined 
against you by this professed successor of St. Peter?" 

"Yes; and that is why I must for the present drop out 
of sight. But I shall not be idle, I will be busy with my pen 
in the fight for righteousness, and the world I trust will 
resound with the joyful news of salvation by simple faith in 
Jesus Christ." 



84 THE LOST LINE 

*'But we can hear from you, can we not?" pleaded the 
girl with an earnestness that made the heart of the young- 
man bound with joy. 

"Yes, that can be handled by my friends who will bear 
my communications for the press to where the mails, or wire- 
less can take charge of them.'^ 

"I am sure you will appreciate my request that you do 
not ask where I am going, for it will relieve you of all em- 
barrassment when asked if you know of my whereabouts. 
And in fact;'' he added ^vth a smile, '1 do not know my desti- 
nation myself. I only know that it is a place of safe refuge 
that your Uncle and Senor Grey Eagle are satisfied is the 
very best place for me at the present, and those, whose hos- 
pitality and protection I am to enjoy will die rather than 
reveal my hiding place.'' 

'•'Will you be going soon?" the young woman asked, the 
light all gone out of her lovely faee. 

"Yes, Senorita Kesterson, and I must leave in the night. 

"Everything in the way of farwells must be said before 
hand that when the hour arrives for my departure, I like the 
Arab must fold my tent and silently steal away." he answered 
with as much gaiety as the occasion would permit. 

"But now^ I wish to speak of a matter that to me is more 
serious than my own personal safety; one that possibly I 
should not speak of in view of the danger that threatens 
myself," and taking her trembling hand in his own and look- 
ing into the liquid depths of her dark eyes, continued, "Yet it 
seems I must speak of it or my heart will break; and that is 
my love for you. It may becruel to mention it, even if you 
felt disposed to return my love; to ask a woman with a bril- 
liant future before her, to share the perils, and suffer the 
ostrcism a life with me would impose upon her." 

"But Julian!" interposed the girl, her face glorious with 
the lovelight that glowed there, "That is your opinion of the 
matter; you have not asked for mine. I would rather share all 
that you have mentioned with you, than safety and social 
position with any prince of the earth." 

For a moment Senor Harcourt was overwhelmed with 
emotion. He knev/ the object of his love possessed the spirit 



THE LOST LINE 85 

of devotion that would lead her anywhere duty called; but" 
was not prepared to find in this crisis that love mastered and 
led in the momentous decision; but with a glad heart accepted 
the wonderful joy that possessed him, and like lovers have 
done from time immemorial drew her to his breast and sealed 
their love with a kiss. 

"Dearest !*' he exclaimed as he gently released her from the 
tender embrace in which he held her for one blissful moment, 
"you can nver know what the realization of my dreams means 
to me. Exer since love for you possessed and held me in it's 
golden chains, with every thought of you and of a glad sweet 
day when I might tell you of my love and lay my heart at 
your feet, till these strange momentous days that have so 
recently come to me, there was the thought of perpetual celi- 
bacy of which The Church in it's zeal had consigned me with 
all it's priests. 

"To make this perfectly clear, you must understand the 
priesthood was not my choice of occupations; that is to say, 
it was chosen for me; for I was devoted to it by my mother, 
as hundreds of boys are by zealous parents; and as my 
father died when I ws in my eighth year, and mother had 
sole charge of me, every bit of my training was with the 
priesthood in view. 

"As my mother had ample means, I had the very best 
training the foremost schools of this country and of those 
abroad could give me; and when the time for my ordination 
came, I accepted it as a matter of course, and entered upon 
my duties as a priest with all the enthusiasm and ardor im- 
aginable. 

"As I had no affairs of the heart before ordination, I 
had given the matter of perpetual celibacy that priesthood in 
the Church imposes, no serious thought; neither did it trouble 
me after I had charge of a parish, till you came into my life. 
Then without any planning or purpose on my part, I was over- 
whelmed and held in the glad sweet thraldom of love. Love 
that is as natural to a normal man or woman, for the one pro- 
vidence has marked for them, as the love of music, or glorious 
sunsets, or cloud capped mountains; and for this cause, the 
most impelling cause in the world, *shall a man leave father 



86 THE LOST LINE 

and mother and cleave unto his wife and they two shall be 
one flesh.' 

*'So after that glorious unfolding of my normal self, I 
was a double captive; held in the sweet bonds of love for 
you, from ^vhich I would have no more been freed, than I 
would have sought deliverance from the memories of my 
noble father I have cherished from childhood as priceless 
treasures; and, held in captivity by the law of the Church. 
And this bondage became especially galling as I examined the 
word of God carefully, and found no grounds of celibacy 
therein; for the Jewish Church, and the Christian Church, in 
apostalic times laid no such restrictions on their priests." 

"I do not like to have you spend your time Julian dear in 
the discussion of these matters, when we are so soon to part, 
but I would like to know w^hatever did lead The Church to lay 
such an unreasonable burden on it's priests?'' 

*'To be perfectly fair to the Church, we must admit there 
was the smallest germ of this doctrine in The New Testa- 
ment — Jesus said, There were some who lived unmarried 
for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He that is able to receive 
it let him receive it'. This hovrever was for any man who 
sav/ his circumstances were such he could better serve God 
unmarried, and was able to meet the providential conditions. 

"Then Paul advised in a time of peculiar persecution 
through v^hich the infant Church was then passing, for 
preachers to remain unmarried, — But that he laid no such 
burden on the ministry for all times and conditions, is seen 
in his first epistle to Timothy, first bishop of Ephesus. *A 
bishop then must be blamless the husband of one wife.' But, 
to see Just what Paul thought of Celibacy for any set of 
men, he says in the Epistle I have just quoted from, that 
'Forbidding to marry' is one of the doctrines of devils. 

"Several things however had to do with the enactment 
of the law of celibacy; for as we have seen, the early Church 
laid no such restrictions on the clergy; but in time their 
morals became so abominable, those who still had the welfare 
of the Church at heart — Identified the interests of clerical 
m.orality and influence with clerical celibacy, and endeavoredto 
destroy natural immorality by enforcing unnatural morality. 



THE LOST LINE 87 

But I believe the zeal of those who became wise above what 
is written had much to do with it; thinking God would be 
pleased v/ith this self abnegation on the part of the clergy; 
because it was believed, they would thus come before him with 
a peculiar sancity that would merit his favor; for the drift 
has always been towards meriting God's peculiar favor by 
doing something more than he has required of us. 

^'Thus, when Jesus came, he found the leaders of His 
Church zealous about cerimonials^ but neglecting the spirit 
of the law, and consequently the people were as sheep having 
no shepherd. 

"One teacher laid upon the people some requirement he 
fancied the letter of the law demanded; others added to this 
what they thought would make the performer thereof better 
in the sight of God, till the commandment of God was lost 
sight of through the traditions of men, and Jesus denounced 
it all in that scathing rebuke. 

'Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, 
for ye pay tithe of mint anise and cummin, and have 
omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, 
mercy and faith; these ought ye to have done and not 
to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides which strain 
at a gnat and swallow a camel. Woe unto ye Scribes 
and Pharisees hypocrites! f or ye make clean the outside 
of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full 
of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse 
first that which is within the cup and platter, that the 
outside may be clean also.' 

'^But I beg your pardon Dear, for I fear my explanation 
has amounted to a homily; but I know you will forgive me, if 
I were somewhat tedious; as my mind has been so engaged 
with these questions for so long." 

"Instead of there being anything for which you should 
ask forgiveness, I wish to thank you for this full answer. I 
can assure you I have heartily enjoyed every word of it. I 
hope I may not seem egotistical when I say the words of our 
Lord,, you have just quoted, have been in my mind for some 
time as applying to the Church today. 

"And I trust you will not think me irreverent when I 



88 THE LOST LINE 

speak of those words of Jesus appealing to me as ironical 
humor. 

"What a picture those leaders, so zealous for the cere- 
monies, must have presented to the minds of the audience 
that day. I have thought probably many present knew those 
very leaders were guilty of cruelty and extortion; taking 
the last piece of furniture from a poor widow for the rent, 
but scrupulously laying down in the temple the tenth of the 
mint anise and cummin which the law did not require to be 
tithed.'^ 

"It is not irreverent for you to think of this rebuke of 
Jesus as ironical humor. There are many instances of humor 
being used in God^s dealings with men. It is plainly declared 
in God's book that he laughs, and will laugh at men's plans, 
and futile efforts against his plans, and power. And is it 
not true that m.any evils have been laughed out of existence ? 
Jesus was the wisest teacher that ever lived, and he saw if he 
could show up the ridiculous side of the Parisees and Scribes 
zeal for ceremonies, v/hile lacking those things that appealed 
to His Father, he would accomplish his purpose; and so it 
is done. Yes, the picture Jesus drew^ of the Church in his 
day is a perfect picture of the Church today." 

''Thank you Julian, for I fear I have been in danger of 
becoming a homilist myself in discussing the questions of 
which the laity are not expected to think about.*' 

"One thing that made my bondage to the rule particularly 
galling, was that the Greek, or Estern Church, never required 
celibacy of it's priesthood. Several hundred years ago, some 
millions of members of the Greek Church, living in Austria, 
called Ukranians, broke away from the Eastern Church, and 
joined the Roman Church; insisting as a condition on their 
allegiance to Rome, that their priests be allowed to marry; 
and the pope granted that concession, and they marry to this 
day. 

''You can see the situation. If it is wrong for the 
prie:ts to marry, then the pope in that day in order to in- 
crease the membership of the Western Church, consented 
to an evil. On the other hand, if it v/as not wrong for one 
section of the priests to contract marriage and have the bless- 



THE LOST LINE 89 

ings and comforts of home, why should it be wrong for an- 
other portion of them, to follov/ in the steps of the Jewish 
priests, and most of the early Christian Church ? 

"But unless there are other questions you desire to ask;^' 
protested the happy lover, "I must not weary you with further 
discussion of these tyrannical rules and laws of the Church, 
for the time is precious, for our stay together can now be 
measured by hours; and there are so many things v/e should 
consider concerning our future." 

"But is it really necessary for you to leave so soon?" 
asked the young woman tears glistening in her dark eyes, as 
she laid a trembling hand on the strong arm of her lover. 

"Yes, Lucretia dear," he answered, drawing her close to 
his side. "It is believed I should not remain longer than 
some time tomorrow night. 

"But I intend to come for you just as soon as I can 
arrange for it. I understand there is quite a little com- 
munity of fine people there; some choice spirits both men and 
women, v/ho are putting their lives and means into the work 
of bringing about the industrial freedom and moral redemp- 
tion of the submerged millions. 

"My heart glows at the thought of having a part in it; 
and what I was trying to do in my parish of rich and cul- 
tured people seems so insignificnt compared with this real 
work; and with you at my side to help me in the glorious 
fight, happiness will be complete. 

"The accommodations v/ill no doubt be quite primitive, 
from descriptions given me, but I fancy the knov/ledge that 
v/e are in the path of real duty, and marching on to victory, 
and with each other's love, the conditions will not seem so 
bad. And besides, we are hoping that in a few months our 
forces will have so gathered strength the situation will be so 
changed the lives of our workers v/ill not be in the danger 
they are in now." 

"0 Julian dear," the now reassured girl exclaimed, "I am 
sure the accommodations there will be delightful — ^we can 
think of our stay there as our honeymoon. You know people 
often go to some out of the v/ay place to spend their first few 
weeks together, living, may be in a little tent beside some 



90 THE LOST LINE 

lake away up in the mountains, with only a servant or two to 
attend them; and think nothing of the inconveniences and 
isolation. So we can, as the poet has so aptly said, 'Far 
from the maddening crowd's ignoble strife,' spend the months, 
or years if need be, of our blissful honeymoon. 

"And my happy heart too, thrills with the thought that 
together we may have a part with those devoted men and 
women in the deliverance of the forgotten, down trodden mil- 
lions of our brothers and sisters/' 

*'Your words dear, make my heart very glad; for I had 
dreaded so much to ask you to share the lot my life for a 
time may make necessary — I am happy to say however that 
my financial needs are thoroughly safeguarded, thanks to my 
sagacious father, who several years before his death con- 
verted all his w^ealth into government bonds; and when my 
mother died five years ago, the entire estate passed to me 
the sole heir, so, though I have lost my parish, and they have 
stripped me of all priestly honors and emoluments, they can- 
not rob me of my income which is amply sufficient for any 
manner of life we might choose, and yet leave a goodly sum 
to devote as I propose to do, to the freeing of those in bond- 
age to the forces of greed. 

'^One of the first things we should do now dearest, is to go 
to your mother, tell her of our engagement and of our pur- 
pose to be married at an early date. She should know it, and 
we will be glad of her blessing. But we should say nothing 
at the present of the strange conditions under which our 
nuptials must be celebrated.'' 

A look of pain passed over the fair face of the girl for 
an instant, then she answered: "You will pardon me Julian, 
but I do not believe that is best just now. Mamma is so de- 
voted to the Church, and has had her ambitious plans for me 
all these years, that she will be so set against our plans it 
will not do now. 

"As the time drav/s near for you to come for me of course 
I will tell her, and face the opposition as best I can. I know 
this will cause you a great deal of pain; but you will appre- 
ciate the situation, knowing as you do, there are those v/ho 
put the Church before everything else; family ties, love of 



THE LOST LINE 91 

off -spring, all will be sacrificed to what they fancy is their 
duty to the Church. It is hard for me to have to say it, but 
it is true nevertheless; it would be wholly unsafe for me to let 
my mother know anything of the plans for your safety." 

Senor Harcourt v^as wholly unprepared for any such a 
revelation as this, but drawing the troubled girl gently to his 
breast exclaimed, ^'You poor dear girl! I never dreamed you 
were carrying such a burden as this on your heart, and all 
because of me. But while I am pained, I know it is part of 
the price I must pay to be true to my conscience, to God, and 
to the Church itself. Yet your love and devotion, constitutes 
a treasure so unspeakably precious to me, all the suffering, 
ostracism, hatred, and persecution I must endure, are as 
nothing to it.^' 

*1 knew you would understand me,'' responded the girl, 
as she sobbed out her grief on her lover's breas^t. "I am not 
willful in this; my mother should be my best counselor, and I 
would go to her at this time with all that concerns you and 
me, if I dared to do it. 

^'But in the matter of my love, I have a right before the 
law to make my ow^n choice; and in making my choice, I am 
only following the advice of my saintly father just before 
he went to be with God. 'Follow your heart in choosing a 
husband, my dear. Do not allow anyone to influence you to 
contract an alliance for money, or social position, that you 
will regret the rest of your life.' I did not realize then 
w^hat he meant. I know now, and am so hppy in your love. 

''But," she exclaimed, brushing away her tears," If you 
are going so soon, we ought to tell Uncle Justin of our plans 
at once, for he will know what to do, and will manage every- 
thing for me." 

The young people were greatly surprised the morning 
following their engagement, when Governor Sherwood called 
them into his study and wtih a merry twinkle in his eyes 
announced, "The arangements for the celebration of your 
m.arriage will be m.ade for six o'clock this afternoon, pro- 
vided." he added in a sober vein, "the plan meets with your 
approval." And v^^ithout witing for either assent or pro- 
test, he proceeded, "As you know Senor Harcourt, the situa- 



92 THE LOST LINE 

tion is grave; but the truth is it is very grave. Those of us 
who are in close touch with the outside world realize this as 
you cannot. 

"If there had been nothing more than your work at Col- 
umbus, and the editorials that commended your course at 
the time; the original policy of the Vatican would have been 
the one followed; but your last communications, and the 
recent editorials in papers friendly to your work, have stirred 
the hierarchy to frenzy; so it will not be safe for you to 
remain av/ay from the place of refuge longer than tonight. 

"There are persons I can refuse entrance into these 
grounds, there are others I cannot; and no one knows in what 
guise the enemy may come. Senors Grey Eagle and Keeling 
are of the same opinion and agree with me fully that as you 
are to be married soon it would be better this evening; then 
you could leave on your honeymoon trip with Senor Keeling 
and party at Eleven o'clock tonight. 

"Then you see Senor Harcourt, it would be extremely 
dangerous for you to leave the refuge till after the election 
in November; and possibly many months after that. Hence 
our plan for the wedding tonight. 

"And we know ycu can both be of incalculable value to 
the cause of freedom while you carry on the fight for right- 
eousness in the shelter of the refuge open to you. 

"Senor Keeling assures me there will be accommoda- 
tions for you, though they will be of a primitive nature." 

"But Uncle!" exclaimed the girl wth evident alarm. 
"What about Mamma?" 

"Never mind about your mother, I will arrange matters 
with her. It is for you to decide what you v^all do in a crisis 
like this." 

"0, I m not troubled about that; but how can we recon- 
cile her to such a sudden arrangement?" 

"0 just leave that to your Uncle too," laughed the Gov- 
ernor; "but it will not do to say anything about your trip — 
as I have already suggested you can call your stay in seclus- 
ion your honeymoon. 0,.I can fix it alright with her, when 
you are once safely v/ay." he remarked with a gesture. 

"But what do you people say to the plan?" 



THE LOST LINE 93 

"It will be the greatest pleasure of my life to have 
Senorita Lucretia go with me tonight as my wfe;'* answered 
the young man, "but of course she must decide/' 

"I will go!'' the radiant young woman answered; "truly 
Uncle, you are a genius at planning. I was telling Julian 
yesterday we could call our stay at the Refuge our honey- 
moon; and so it shall be." 

So the marriage was quielty celebrated at the hour agreed 
upon, a venerable priest who approved Senor Harcourt's 
course, and who was living in retirement in a nearby town, 
where he had ministered to the spiritual needs of the com- 
munity for fifty years, reading the service. 



CHAPTER IX. 
THE PURSUIT. 

The preparations for our return to The Builders' Head- 
qaarters were made with extreme caution. 

Governor Sherwood personally supervised the transfer of 
the trunks nd traveling bags of the bride and groom from 
the house to the airship; but the faithful servants who 
handled the baggage never dreamed they were having a part 
in a real romance, for with such secrecy had everything in 
connection with the marriage been carried out, none of the 
numerous servants of the Governor's household, had the 
faintest inkling of it. 

When the hour for our going came, the lights in the 
grounds and about the hangars were turned off; our fare- 
wells were spoken under our breath; and our party made 
its way in silence to where our gallant ship was in readiness 
for our departure. 

All directions for our embarking, and orders to the 
pilot concerning our trip were made in whispers, all realizing 
discretion were the better part of valor; for though it was the 
time of full moon yet heavy clouds covered the whole face 
of the sky and this cast a shroud of mystery over all the 
v/orld. Every dim shape, or wierd shadow, because of our 
tense nerves, seemed a menacing foe, or the lurking place of 
an assassin who sought the life of the young priest, and if 
occasion required it, any who would befriend him. Yet with 
all our fears we could not be unmindful of the glories of that 
summer night. Though we moved with bated breath and 
careful step yet it was impossible to shut out the sweet 
fragrance of balsam and pine, the gentle breezes wafted to 
our nostrils as they blew down fresh and cool from snow 
capped mountain peaks. In spite of our caution, our ears 
would heed the multitude of sounds that filled the air. Some 
of them familiarly sweet, awakening memories of child- 
hood's days and loved ones long since gone. The tinkle, tinkle 
of a bell as some leader of the herd stirred restlessly, 
the bleating of a lambkin calling to its mother, the tune of the 



THE LOST LINE 9o 

cricket's fiddle; the strange yet sweet cry of a thousand 
katydids uttering their accusations and denials; and above all 
the deep boom of the grey v/olf's call as he wandered lone 
and hungry on a distant mountain side. 

When all arrangements had been completed, Senor 
Keeling gave the word to the pilot, the mechanism of the 
speaking tube being so perfect it would convey a whisper, 
and our staunch ship moved out on the most momentous and 
eventful journey of its history. 

Scarcely were we off the landing field till our craft, 
which was going at a terrifiic speed, began to rise rapidly to 
be quickly away from the place where danger might be lurk- 
ing. 

As we shot upward, the earth with its dimly visable land- 
marks seemed to be falling away from us, and everything but 
the twinkling camp fires on the hillsides where shepherds and 
their flocks were resting for the night, soon vanished. Then as 
in the twinkling of an eye these too disppeared and I knew 
we were in the clouds. A dense mist, that though lighted by a 
strange soft light that continuously grew brighter, hid all 
the world from view. 

I v/as enraptured. At last some of the sweet longings of 
my childhood were being realized. 

From the dawn of memory, nothing in nature, of which I 
had ahvays been a most ardent lover, had so charmed and 
fascinated me as the clouds. 

In childhood I had dreamed wondeful dreams about the 
clouds, as I wtached them go sailing like great white winged 
ships through the air. I often wondered if I were only up 
where they were if I could not ride away on their pink and 
golden beauty to fairy land; or when they arose grand and 
terrible in time of storm, if their great angry folds were not 
bags made dark by the water they carried, which the thunder 
and lightning rent asunder letting out the rain. Now I was 
in the clouds of which I had dreamed such strange sweet 
dreams, enveloped by them as a mother would enfold in her 
arms the homesick child returned to her breast. In spite of 
the strain we were under a few moments before, I reveled in 
it; for a wonderful joy possessed me. 



96 THE LOST LINE 

But marvelous as it all was, I was wholly unprepared 
for what was coming. Suddenly we shot up out of the clouds, 
rose a hundred feet or so bove them, and headed directly for 
Headquarters. We v/ere now in a veritable wonderland; no 
bedtime tale told and retold to my ever increasing wonder 
and delight, by my old nurse in childhood's days, was half so 
wonderful as -this reality. 

The full round moon flung out her noods of mellow 
light so bounteously it seemed I had never seen moonlight 
before; and in that pure atmosphere the stars sparkled and 
scintilated like gems in a diadem. 

Beneath us rolled a moulten sea of silver; its waves white 
crested and terrible, foaming and tumbling like the billows 
of the storm tossed Atlantic; but above this rolling, tumbling 
sea of mist, we were flying far more swiftly than the speed- 
iest ocean liner could plov/ the main in the far off olden time^ 
though it's waters might be as smooth as a summer sea. 

I could see a look of relief on the face of Senor Keeling, 
the instant v/e were above the clouds; and with a reassuring 
smile he exclaimed, "Now folks, I feel we are fairly safe to 
pursue our v/ay at will to Headquarters. As we were not 
molested en leaving the grounds at Maysfield, and as we have 
now put the thick screen of clouds between us and any enemy 
craft, that might have been reconnoitering in the neighbor- 
hood, it is very unlikely we will be disturbed in our journey.'* 

I could also see a change had come over the other mem- 
bers of our party, and all were apparently settling down for a 
pleasant cruise through the moonlit air. 

A cruise about which a story more fascinating and won- 
derful than any Arabian Knight's tale might have been writ- 
ten. But this was for a moment only; for we were rudely 
awakened from our dream of security by the sudden appear- 
ance of an airship apparently about the size of our own, that 
shot up out of the rolling sea of clouds about a quarter of a 
mile behind us. 

One thought v/as in every mind on board our ship. "We 
were being pursued by an enemy." Still all had a faint 
hope, that the ship in our wake might be the craft of some 
pleasure seekers, who looking for the novel and exciting, had 



THE LOST LINE 97 

determined to rise above the clouds and had chanced to come 
up directly behind us. 

We were perfectly sure the fathful men occupying the 
cockpits down in the fuselage were watching the movements 
of the strangers back of us and felt certain they would not 
be outwitted by any enemy pilot. 

But we were glad when our good ship, apparently to try 
out the intentions of our neighbor, shot forward at an in- 
crease of speed that soon reached one hundred miles an hour, 
keeping this gait, until thirty or forty miles were covered. 

But when \ve noted our neighbor maintained the same 
distance from us through this burst of speed, all hopes that 
we were not being pursued vanished from every breast, and 
each member of the little party read in the faces of the others 
the set determination to meet v/ith calm fortitude any fate 
the future might hold for them. 

Suddenly we were aware our ship was plunging, down- 
ward at a rapid gait, and before we could realize what it 
meant we found ourselves in the clouds once more, where we 
soon resumed a level flight in a daring effort to elude our 
enemy in the enveloping folds of the friendly mist. 

But after possibly twenty fiive minutes of this, we came 
to great rifts in the clouds that grew larger as we journeyed 
on towards the south. 

Coming out into one of these that was wider than any 
yet crossed, we cold discern the ominous shape back of us, 
dangerously near, coming on in our wake like a fearful 
nemesis that was determined not to lose sight of us, if they 
did not immediately attack us. 

The clouds were now rapidly clearing away and Colum- 
bus could be seen through the constantly widening rifts like a 
great patch of light, for electricity turned night into day in 
the Convention City. 

When we were yet several miles north of the city, our 
ship began describing a great circle so Columbus was left to 
our southeast; but when we were directly west of the city, 
our course changed again somewhat, so we bore gently to the 
southwest, towards Nogales, Arizona. 

We had now slowed down to a speed of eighty miles an 



98 THE LOST LIx^JE 

hour. The reason for it appearing in Senor Reeling's view 
of the situation and plan of action. Senor Harcourt had been 
a close, keen observer of every movement of the ship that v/as 
following us, and noting our ship had settled do-vn to a steady 
gait, and that Senor Keeling was not momentarily engaged 
ventured to ask him a lev/ questions, to v/hich, ansv/er was 
returned, that ran something like this. 

"No, Senor Harcourt, there is not a particle of doubt 
in my mind now about the pursuing ship being an enemy; 
and as there has been abundant time to try this theory out; 
VTii convnced the hierarchy has in some way gotten hold of 
information concerning the plan to get you into a place of 
safety, and as it has been trying for long time to discover the 
Builders' Headquarters, the men on this ship are out on a two 
fold mission tonight. To follow us, until they are sure they 
have discovered the place where The Builders function, then 
rush tls, throw a bomb on our ship to destroy it, then retire 
to a place of safety, and come back at their leisure with rein- 
forcements to ransack and destroy Headquarters and the 
glorious band of men and v/om^en there/' 

^*I believe you have the solution of the mystery that 
seems to surround the conduct of our pursuers", Senor Har- 
court answered, *'for I have been puzzling over the problem 
for some minutes, that if they have evil intentions concei-ning 
us, which every sign indicates they have, why do they put off 
the blow they intend; running the risk of disaster to them- 
selves, from an attack from us, or from accident. If they 
simply desire our destruction why should they delay an 
attempt at it? 

"As you suggest, I am also fully convinced, they have 
a double purpose.'' 

"But I trust" Senor Keeling returned, "v/ith the guiding 
hand of Him who notes the sparrow's flight, to direct our 
course, they will get nothing out of this chase, but their 
pains. Of course we have no knowledge as to the equipment 
of their ship to sustain a long flight; but I knov/ what this 
ship will do, and I am confident it will be true to it's name. 
"The Invincible", out-fly it's rival yonder and bring us safely 
into Headquarters. Of course the air is free to us anywhere 



THE LOST LINE 99 

in our own country; and as we are not at war with any nation, 
we can fly over any clime where we care to set sail. 

^'Bu't if I had only been thoug^htful enough to have had 
a good sized lunch basket filled before leaving Maysfield, our 
journey would be more enjoyable; but I doubt if our enemy 
back yonder thought to stock up with provisions before 
setting out on this pleasure trip. I dare say they will get 
hungry as quickly as we, and it may be their undoing; for 
they may decide some evening to descent to earth for supper, 
and if they do, we will bid them a fond farewell and journey 
on into Headquarters at our leisure." 

But in spite of these words of confidence and good cheer, 
I was not wholly reassured, for I thought of another chase 
I had witnessed in childhood and shuddered as I contemplated 
the possibility of this one ending as disastrously for us as it 
did for the pursued in that far off summer day. 

A weasel in search of his dinner had surprised a squirrel 
at his. The squirrel knew if there was any safety for him it 
was in flight, so springing upon a tree trunk ran to the very 
top of it, sprang out into the air, closely followed by his cruel 
foe, and down into the sheltering mysteries of the heavy 
undergrowth below. There with all the swiftness with which 
his feet would carry him he ran, now under a fallen tree 
trunk, now through a maze of vines; thence upon another 
tree to it's topmost bough, sprang out into the air once more, 
the nose of his relentless pursuer almost touching his tail, 
and down again into the cover of the friendly underbrush, 
where because of failing strength, and the awful fright that 
possessed him, he made one false movement and the weasel 
taking advantage of it, sprang upon him, bore the luckless 
squirrel to the ground and with his knife-like teeth cut the 
jugular vein, closed his cruel lips over the gaping wound, 
gorged himself with the hot blood, then turned leisurely over 
on his side to rest beside his stiffening victim. 

The clouds had now cleared away and we were cruising 
through the moonlight air that was almost calm. The light 
of the moon fell full on our pursuer so it was easy for us to 
discern every movement; and we saw his only purpose for 



100 THE LOST LINE 

the present was to keep in close proximity to us, proving the 
conclusions of Senor Keeling were correct. 

About two o'clock in the morning we came in sight of 
Nogales, where we changed our course abruptly and in- 
creased our speed to one hundred miles an hour, and flew 
directly south over the State of Senora for the distance of 
one hundred miles; then swung round to the northeast until 
we were on our original line of travel from Columbus to 
Nagoles; then headed directly for the former city once more. 
When we were about one hundred miles east of Nogales it 
became certain to us from the conduct of our pursuers that 
they had figured out our plan not to go into the place of 
Shelter to which we were carrying Senor Harcourt. And in 
accordance with this deduction they proposed to end the 
chase by destroying us, and report to their m.aster at -Wash- 
ington City that it was possible to carry out but one part of 
their two fold mission. 

The first intimation we had of their change of plans was 
when they started forward at terrific speed, and at a dis- 
tance of one hundred feet from us shot upward, with the 
evident purpose of getting above our ship to drop a bomb upon 
us, much as the cruel hawk rises above it's fleeing quarry 
when the moment or advantage comes, to strike it dead in 
mid air. 

So unexpectedly and so quickly was this rush made, their 
purpose was well nigh accomplished; and we held our breath 
in anticipation of the fate that for a moment seemed certain; 
but through the quick action of our intrepid pilot and as we 
believed the superiority of our machine, the catastrophe was 
averted. For like a rocket our good ship shot upward and 
forward, as the seasoned racer on the track gets his second 
wind in the last lap, and leaves his rival, who has been run- 
ning neck to neck with him, rods behind, as he comes in 
under the rope. Now we realized we were in a race for our 
lives for we had nothing whatsoever for defense; we must 
out-wit and out-fly our enemy, or all was lost; so vigilence and 
the superiority of our ship, and those who manned it, were 
our only hope from a physical standpoint, for the preserva- 
tion of life, that looked very sweet to us that summer night. 



THE LOST LINE 101 

After our escape from this intended assault, our flight 
for some time was on a dead level, at terrific speed, for our 
sole business was now to keep out of the way of our enemy, 
letting him set the pace; guarding against giving him an 
advantage through slackened speed in which he would rise 
above us for his work of destruction. 

The fev/ minutes that followed dragged by like hours. 
It is said there are moments on the battlefield in which men 
live a lifetime, so much of horror, mental anguish, and epoch 
making events are crowded into them. 

So v/e lived and suffered more in that brief stretch of 
time, than in all our lives before. 

We had not covered fifty miles of that nerve racking 
flight, when the enemy feeling the moment of advantage had 
come, shot upward like an arrow from a bow to gain the 
vantage point above us. 

Quick as a flash of light, our good ship rose to keep on a 
level with the foe or above it,and at a safe distance in the 
lead. 

The struggle was titanic. 

Not as two monarchs of the jungle would match tooth 
and claw, or hoof and horns for the mastery; but nevertheless 
a struggle in which two giants of the air matched speed 
gainst speed, and two human vdlls grappled in a mighty 
game with their lives, and the lives, of those on board their 
ships, as the pawns! 

For some minutes the ships had been climbing, climbing; 
the one bent on destruction, the other to save itself from 
desrtuction. Then we saw in the pure atmosphere of that 
far height what froze our blood; the enemy ship was gaining 
on our ship, yard by yard, and soon it hovered like a great 
bird of prey above us, and any instant we v/ere expecting to 
hear the frightful boom of the exploding bomb, that would 
send our gallant ship to earth a flaming twisted wreck. 

Then we saw what seemed incredible to our bewildered 
senses. The enemy ship was slipping rapidly backward, and 
shaking like a leaf would shake in the wind. Evidently a 
propeller blade had broken in the terrific struggle for the 
mastery, and the mighty vibrations such a catastrophe would 



102 THE LOST LINE 

occasion, were no:: only well nigh wracking the ship to pieces, 
but must have caused the bomb meant for us to miscarry, for, 
above the awful din and roar, the sound of a mighty explosion 
reached our ears, we saw the lurid glare of bursting flames; 
eaught just one heart sickening glimpse of terrified human 
faces lit up by the bright light, and the daring chase was over; 
for our relentless enemy was falling in great flaming spirals 
to the earth! 



CHAPTER X. 
THE STATE CONVENTION 

"Mis amigos y Conaradas!'' rang out in clear cheery 
tones above the bable of voices, and Senor and Senora Grey 
Eagle separated themselves from the throng of visitors in 
front of the old Mission Church, and with extended hands 
and beaming faces hurried to our party which consisted of 
Senor and Senora Keeling and myself. 

"Ah, this is a rare and unexpected pleasure'^ exclaimed 
Senor Grey Eagle, as he and his fair wafe shook our hands 
cordially, "From what you said Senor Keeling, when you 
left Maysfield night before last, I feared it would be impos- 
sible for 570U to come, and we v/anted you here so much. 

"Though wife and I are not on the reception commit- 
tee, we constitute ourselves one right here and now, and 
welcome you to old historic Santa Fe; and the State Conven- 
tion of the Industrial Party that convenes at ten o'clock to- 
morrow morning. And notwithstanding you people come from 
another state, and have no voice in the Convention, we assure 
you there will be no delegation sitting in the pavillion tomor- 
row more appreciated by us than yourselves!" 

"Thank you, Senor Grey Eagle for this most gracious 
welcome;'' responded Senor Keeling; "and as you suggest,*' 
he continued, "When v/e left Maysfield it did look impossible 
for us to be here; but the obstacle, I am happy to say was 
removed, and we are here. But as I believe you know, it 
would have taken an insurmountable difficulty to keep me 
from the opening of this glorious campaign for freedom.*' 

Then he added with a gracious smile, "The other mem- 
bers of my party here were just as eager to be in at the 
be[- inning of the open battle as myself." And sobering some- 
what, he continued, "But we must be strangers to all our 
friends tomorrow; for the place of meeting as we all must 
know, v/ill be infested with spies, and every man who has 
had to do with affairs, and every word spoken will be reported 
to the Vatican." 



104 THE LOST LINE 

"Yes that is so;" responded Senor Grey Eagle pressing 
the hand of his companion warmly. "And I recognize the 
necessity for the utmost caution on your part because of 
your past activities. 

"But how about your trip from Maysfield to Headquar- 
ters; without incident I suppose?'* 

"Instead we were pursued!" 

"All, indeed! but unsuccessfully I take it?" 

"I am certain our pursuers have not reported to his 
holiness!" 

"I see; this is surely getting interesting. You can tell 
us all about it as we go out to have a look at the pavillion 
where the Convention is to be held. I believe it is as perfct 
as a building of its kind can be." And so saying, he and 
Senora Grey Eagle led the way to their airship. 

We had reached Santa Fe just a little w^hile before our 
unexpected meeting with the Grey Eagles, having had lunch- 
eon at a quaint old inn in an obscure village some twenty 
miles south of the city. And at my urgent request, had 
corns immediately to visit the old church that was erected by 
the first missionaries from Spain to the Indians in that local- 
ity, some centuries before. 

I had visited it many times in the far off days, and I 
v/ondered if the walls of adobe though they were six feet 
thick at the foundaticn were still intact. I was much sur- 
prised to find the picturesque historic edifice still standing, 
but entirely enclosed; for the enterprizing city had caused a 
great house to be built about it, with slate roof and walls of 
the finest plate glass set in heavy metalic sash, to preserve 
it from the gnawing tooth of time; yet hiding none of the 
rude beauty from the eyes of the observer. 

I marvelled at the changes that had come to the city since 
I sav/ it last. It's growth was the first thing to excite won- 
derrz-ent, for it had spread out in every direction, but espec- 
ially to the v/est and south. From a modest little city, it had 
grown to a magnificent masterful city of a million souls. 

From the old Santa Fe, with its branch line railway, it 
had become the new Santa Fe, with its two great trans-con- 
tinental lines — double track systems — which because of 



THE LOST LINE 105 

aerial passenger travel were given over to freight traffic; 
specializing in train loads of the heavier freight. 

Another thing that quickly arres-ted my attention, was the 
peons; almost counterparts of those I had seen for the 
first time ten days before in Columbus, New Mexico; for here 
too, they seemed to be everywhere busy at the drudgery of 
the city. 

But it seemed a hopefulness characterized them that 
was not apparent in the faces of those at Columbus; and 
naturally, for on the morrow the battle for freedom, THEIR 
battle for freedom was to open. 

Then I was astonished at the great numbers of sleek 
well-fed priests, that seemed to be everywhere. These I 
knew must be fed, clothed, and housed by that system, at 
whose base the multitudes of peons ground and sweat; and 
I v/as forcibly reminded of the remark of a Catholic writer 
on priest-ridden Ireland, **It seemed to me, every other man 
I met there was a priest.'' 

The pavillion, v/hich was located several miles to the 
southwest on a small knoll in the outskirts of the city, was 
indeed ideal for its purposes. Its top, seen from the airship 
as we neared it, looked for all the world like the canvass of 
a mammoth circus tent, supported by tall strong beams. 

But the most unique feature of the pavillion was that 
its ampitheatrical seating that would accommodate ten thous- 
and people; did not extend by many feet as far out in any 
direction as the roof, so that protection from the sun was 
perfect; while the entire space, from the edge of the roof all 
around down to the ground was entirely open, insuring the 
complete comfort of the immense throngs assembling there. 

We were in our seats in the pavillion at an early hour 
next morning, and found it an experience of a lifetime to 
v/atch the great throngs come in. 

Our interest centered of course in the delegations from 
the various counties of the state, as they filed into the sec- 
tions reserved for them; for it seemed every tribe and kind- 
red on the earth was represented in them. American Indians, 
as straight and lythe of limb as their ancestors who greeted 
the first v/hite men from Europe; and Indians from the banks 



106 THE LOST LINE 

of the Gangese, Native born negroes, and negroes from 
Africa, all so black it seemed they might cast a shadow on a 
cloudy day, along with the pure Caucasian, and Yellow men 
from the islands of the sea; tall and stately men of pure 
Arabian blood; Lapps, whose stunted figures bore silent tes- 
timony of the effects of cold and privation on a race, v/hich for 
centuries dwelt on the frozen treeless tundra of Northern 
Europe; and smiling sons of Italy; so cosmopolitan was the 
citizenry of New Mexico. While there were peon men and 
women in the delegations, in whose veins flowed the blood of 
the five great races of mankind. But all of them, what ever 
their race or color, animated by one great purpose; a glorious 
light beaming from every eye. 

Some time before the hour for the convention to open, 
the pavillion was filled to its capacity, and promtly at ten 
o'clock Governor Sherv/ood, as temporary chairman, arose, 
struck the table before him with a gavel, which had been 
presented by the peons of the city, and declared the conven- 
tion open. A large chorus of men and women, rendered a 
patriotic song written for the occasion, and a grey-haired 
veteran in the fight for freedom, led the vast assembly in 
praj'-er to Almighty God, for guidance and protection. 

Thunderous applause greeted the permanent chairman, 
Senor Oliver P. Blaisdell, when he was escorted to the plat- 
form. He was descended from men, v/ho fought in the 
Eevolutionary War, and though he v/as born in peonage, had 
by sheer force of character and indomitable will overcome all 
obstacles, and risen to leadership among his fellows. 

Interest reached its height however, v/hen the chair- 
man of the committee on platform, composed of five women, 
and two mien, announced their report was ready, and that 
Senora Izora Grey Eagle the secretary of the committee 
would read it. 

When she reached the platform, with the im.portant docu- 
ment in her hand the vast assemblage arose enmasse; hand- 
kerchiefs v;ere v/aved, and tumultuous cheers woke the echoes. 
When the enthusiastic crowd settled back into the seats, a 
great quiet, like the hush of a summier evening, pervaded the 



THE LOST LINE 107 

pavillion, as the fair lady began the reading in clear ringing 

tones that reached the fartherest seat: 

The Industral Party Platform. 
Resolved that we, the delegated representatives of 
the electors of the State of New^ Mexico, in convention 
assembled in our duty to our constituents, our State, and 
the Nation at large, unite in accepting the following 
declarations that are to be embodied in the platform of 
the party in the National Convention at Chicago, five 
days hence. 

1. That the policy of the dominant party, for 
some years past, in its disregard of the rights of the 
many, in seeking and safeguarding the interests of the 
few, has fully established the propriety and necessty, for 
the organization of the Industrial Party, whose prime 
purpose is to seek the v/elfare of the vv^hole people, 
and whereby put the Government on a basis where it 
v/ill be perpetuated, rather than overthrown. 

2. That any government to continue, must recog- 
nize, sooner or later, those self evident truths, found in 
an old and much neglected document. *That all men are 
created equal, that they are endowed by their creator 
with certain inalienable rights, that among these, are 
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure 
these rights, governments are instituted among men, 
deriving their just powers from the consent of the 
governed"; and therefore we demand — 

1. The com.plete abolition of peonage. 

2. Immediate and complete correction of the tax 



The immediate institution of a free school sys- 



levy. 

tern. 

4. Complete religious freedom. Full protection 
under the government, in the worship of God according 
to the dictates of conscience, providing such forms of 
worship do not conflict with the plain word of God, the 
sacredness of the home, and the interests of the whole 
people. 

5. A complete abolition of the fee system as now 



108 THE LOST LINE 

permitted in the Catholic church. Any priest or pastor 
in charge of a parish, or congregation, shall on request^ 
perform the marriage ceremony, administer baptism, 
bury the dead, or grant absolution to the truly penitent, 
free of charge. So the poorest man in the land may 
stand on equal footing with the richest in his moral 
relations. 

6. A complete abolition of Landlordism. The land 
only for those who till it. We demand the Government 
purchase the present great estates at a just figure, divide 
them into tracts according to their productiveness, lati- 
tude, v/ater privileges, etc., and sell only to those who 
will till the same, on the installment plan giving thirty 
years time., at a living figure and low rate of interest. 
Penalty for Landlordism; Reversion of land to the 
Government. 

7. Government ownership and operation of all pub- 
lic utilities for the benefit of the whole people. 

8. Government ownership and utilization of ail 
natural resources, such as coal nines, natural growth tim- 
ber, oil fields, water power, natural beds, mines or de- 
posits, that can be converted into building and con- 
struction material, fertilizers, etc., for the benefit of the 
whole people. 

9. An eght hour day. 

10. That all offices, shops, factories, store and other 
buildings, v/here men and women render services for 
wages be built on strictly sanitary lines, furnished wth 
abundant light and approved appliances for safety of life 
and limb. 

11. The abolition, as quickly as possible, of the 
tenement system of housing the industrial class, by a 
Government building board that shall cause to be erected 
suitable dwellings on lots of specified dimensions, and 
sell the same to heads of families on the installment 
plan of payment, covering a period of twenty years; 
longer time to be given where there is unavoidable 
disability to pay. 

12. The restoration of school lands, that through 



THE LOST LINE 109 

eccleastical meddling with legislation, have been turned 
to the support of parochial schools, back to the states, 
for the support of the free school system. 

"Such fellow citizens", commented Senora Grey Eagle, 
"is a brief statement of the principles of the Industrial 
Party; which principles we contend are in harmony with those 
laws instituted by the Creator at the beginning. For when 
Grod created man he made no provision whatsoever for classes 
— that one portion of the race should by might, or force of 
circumstances, which it has created, exact service from an- 
other portion against its will. But it was his benificent pur- 
pose that all men should dwell together as brethren, helpers 
to one another. 

"A departure from this was no doubt one of the great 
contributing causes that brought on the flood of waters in 
Noah^s day, that destroyed all but eight persons; for God 
said, ^The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth 
is filled with violence through them.' 

"That is, the weaker and less thrifty portion of man- 
kind, were in all probability, exploited by the richer and more 
powerful portion, and finally subjected to abject slavery, 
while profligacy reigned supreme among both classes. Then 
the stroke fell, that wiped the slate clean of the figures in 
the sum at which the Almighty was working, making way 
for the new problem, in which he began all over again with 
eight souls. 

"And we are sure history, perverted as it may have been, 
reveals that exploitation, or attempted exploitation of their 
fellows by those who fancied they had a divine right, or were 
physically and intellectually superior to those they would 
exploit, and were therefore, justified in it, has been the 
underlying cause of all the wars and revolutions that have 
visited the earth since that awful cataclysm. 

"Once more in the course of human events a portion of 
the race, that numbers hundreds of millions, is under ex- 
ploitation; Cruel hope-blastin.cr, soul-destroying exploitational! 
And to make the yoke of this servitude the more galling, 
and the nif^ht of the oppressed people more dark, is the 
astounding fact that the church, that should have been the 



110 THE LOST LINE 

protection of all the race, and especially of the weak, not only 
suffered the unprincipled and the strong, to take advantage 
of the unforunate and the weak, to increase their wealth and 
add to their power, but deliberately planned the subjugation 
of the masses, and joined hands with the wicked to this end 
that it might reign supreme in the earth, the lord of all things 
human and divine!!'^ 

This awful charge called forth tremendous applause, that 
continued for some moments; and during that time I was able 
to note something of our surroundings. 

Y/hile there was much wholehearted enthusiastic cheer- 
ing from many in the visitors seats we saw others whose 
faces betrayf;d in spite of themselves a malignity that was 
ominous; and I knew we were surrounded by Jesuit spies and 
sleuths of the Vatican, that would go to any lengths to serve 
their master, and an .involuntary shudder shook my frame as I 
watched the steady movement of their pencils, which I knew 
were recording every w^ord my friend of a few brief days was 
uttering, and also all the proceedings of the convention as 
well; that their master might possess himself of every fact 
that he might not only combat this political uprising success- 
fully, but know just who to crush v/hen the movement should 
be put down. My apprehensions were not lessened when a 
breath of air stirring the locks on the forehead of one of the 
scribes near me, revealed the significent ^666' I 

When the cheering subsided, the radiant speaker contin- 
ued: "Therefore my fellow citizens, if ever an uprising, a 
mass movement for liberation stood justified; if a political 
movement to correct long standing and dehumanizing abuses 
stands righteously grounded, we the Industrial Party are the 
embodiment of that cause! 

"To expect that the present conupt officialdom will 
reform, is worse than useless. We the oppressed class make 
no apology to our self-appointed rulers; we arise from our 
knees where we have grovelled too long, to assume the sta- 
ture of men; and men offer no apology of manly action; submit 
our demands, and declare our purposes! 

"We unequivocally demand the sweeping removal from 
every office in our land the present corrupt contemptuous and 



THE LOST LINE 111 

unholy officialdom who hold their truckling positions at the 
will of the supreme pontiff; and propose to replace them with 
honest, liberty loving, God fearing men and women from 
our own ranks; v/ho though oppressed *have been toiling up- 
ward in the night', and know all too bitterly wherein lies 
these wide spread and seemingly unconquerable abuses, and 
have the breadth of vision, and the strength of heart to 
undertake the gigantic task of correcting the conditions. 

'*But the heaviest and most melancholy burden any liber- 
ation movement must bear, is the inertia and indifference of 
the many who most need that liberation. 

^'But my brothers, is it any wonder here in our day, here 
where generations of oppression and enforced ignorance have 
taken beauty from the faces, grace from the forms of the 
lash driven millions, darkening their souls and stupifying 
their minds, that in multitudes, only animal instincts pervail ? 

"Arise Patriots! Bow the knee no longer in cringing 
trembling servitude! Stand erect, look your self appointed 
masters in the face, and prepare to grapple with the false 
and brutalizing system under which ithe world is groaning. 

"Be mxen; for as you love truth, honor and justice for 
all, you are immeasurably above your oppressors v/ho live 
falsely, know no standard of social and civil justice, but live 
only for self; forgetting the toiling millions who sometimes 
lift their haggard faces toward the light, hoping for a better 
day! 

"We demand homes for these downtrodden brutalized 
masses.' Real homes; sanctioned and made such by the 
church and state. Not just a bit of adobe and thatch where 
children are born to increase the working force of the 
greedy landlords. Homes where the last rays of the setting 
sun linger as if to sanctify the sweet lullabyes of happy con- 
tented mothers. Homes with all their softening refining and 
spiritualizing influences, without v/hich no true commonwealth 
can long endure. 

"Who alone but ourselves must undertake this solemn 
duty? On us alone rests this heavy burden. Those of us 
who hve caught the vision must stir to action the indifferent, 
and support the weak. Then together we must move on in 



112 THE LOST LINE 

entrenched wrong*, firmly barricaded with organization thf.t 
has long withstood the wrack of time and change. 

"Like a wall, this organization stands solid, smug, con- 
temptuous; and till overthro^vn, is a sure .guarantee to its 
few beneficiaries, of wealth, privilege, and imune enjoyment 
of every form of corruption and power. Against all this, 
fellow patriots, we must move not with glittering spear or 
blades of steel; not with shot and shell; but with the pure 
w^hite ballot, made pure and white by the justice of our cause. 

"Then if we falter not, some glad day it will have come 
to pass, that there is not a peon, or industrial slave on God's 
green earth; when brother can take brother by the hand, 
look him in the eye and each with his shoulder under the bur- 
dens march on together in the light of civil and religious 
liberty towards the eternal day!'' 

When the speaker, whose face glowed with a glorious 
light, finished, the assembly rose to its feet as one man, and 
a tumultuous burst of cheers rent the air. The faces of men 
that bore the brands of their cruel masters were wet with 
happy tears. Men whose limbs were scared and maimed by 
ball and chain leaped for very joy! The great band struck 
the music of their rallying song, thousands taking up its 
words and gave vent to their pent up feelings, in sounding 
out its glorious words of hope, over and over again. 

¥7hen the convention closed late that night, a full set of 
candidates for the state offices had been nominated. Senor 
Grey Eagle being named for governor of the state, and Gov- 
ernor Sherwood unanimously endorsed for nomination at the 
national convention to be held in Chicago, for President of 
Columbia. 



CHAPTER XI. 
THE HEART OF A PEON. 

All through the memorable day of the Convention, our 
party was incognito. 

Not by word or action did we in the least suggest our 
vital relationship to some of the principals in the great battle 
begun that day. But when it was over, and the throngs of 
delegates and spectaors, were swallowed up by the City, or 
were being borne by sv/ift winged ships through the unchart- 
ed moonlit air towards every corner of the state, we felt 
we were safe to make our way cautiously to the executive 
mansion to accept an invitation from Governor Sherwood and 
wife, to be their guests a few days before the opening of the 
National Convention of The Industrial Party at Chicago. 

We were promptly challenged by a vigilant guard when 
we reached the entrance to the grounds in which the Execu- 
tive mansion was located, but a pass, which Senor Sherwood 
had caused to be placed in the hands of Senor Keeling, satis- 
fied the cautious keeper of the gate, and he swung it back 
on it's hinges and with gracious words bid us enter. 

Our welcome to the Governor's home was as hearty as 
he and his v/ife could make it, and we were immediately 
"at home", under their hospitable roof. 

We knew Senor and Senora Grey Eagle were to be fel- 
low guests, but a surprise awaited me that could scarcely 
have been equaled for the joy it brought me; for on entering 
the spacious reception room, we found Father Holmes Tup- 
per, the venerable priest who officiated at the wedding of 
Senor Harcourt and Senorita Kesterson, was among the 
guests. I had become so interested in him at the wedding, I 
was delighted at the thought of broadening my acquaintance 
with him and the possibility of renewing a conversation be- 
gun at the wedding. 

Father Tupper was a remarkable man; could be so 
regarded from any standpoint. He was of massive propor- 
tions, and though ninety seven years of age, his gentle but 
piercing eyes were undimmed; and his physical and mental 



114 THE LOST LINE 

vigor were those of a robust man of sixty years. His face 
was as kindly as any I had ever seen though it was the face 
of a master of men — high forehead^ shaggy eyebrows, 
prominent nose, dominant chin, and large firm mouth. 

His abundant white hair fell in great ringlets over his 
broad shoulders. This, added to the other striking features 
of the man, made one think of the ancient Seers. 

The executive Mansion was a marvel of beauty, far ex- 
celling anything I had visited in the wonderful new realm 
into which I had com.e. It was flooded with a peculiar soft 
mellow light that emanated from small glass tubes that com- 
pleted the borders of the ceilings of the magnificent rooms. 

But above all this loveliness and light, I was charmed with 
the spirit of fellowship and good cheer that pervaded the 
place like a presence; it was as if a family of sons and daugh- 
ters had come home to mother and father after years of sep- 
aration, and each was striving to make the others glad. After 
greetings were over the conversation for a time was about 
the great convention just closed; then the company broke up 
into little groups visiting and discussing such matters as es- 
pecially concerned them. 

This left me for the time with the aged priest; so I seiz- 
ed the opportunity to renew the conversation begun at the 
wedding. 

^'Father Tupper'', I began, "You will doubtless recall a 
conversation v/e were having the other day 'at the wedding 
of our friend Senor Harcourt, v/hich came to an abrupt end 
when my party left for The Builders' Headquarters?" 

Instantly his face lighted, and he was all animation. 

"Yes,'' he replied, "I recall it v/ith pleasure and we were 
discussing peonage, v/eren't we? 

"I am doubly glad to renew the conversation, first, be- 
cause I am pleased to impart all the information I am able 
to one who has so strangely come into this age; an age 
frought with such tremendous responsibilities, yet, with the 
present outlook holds nothing but dire calamity. 

"And secondly because, if I understood you aright, you 
bave seen nothing of peonage only as you have observed it 
toi the cities; am I correct in this ?'' 



THE LOST LINE 115 

"Yes Father; I have seen nothing of it only as I have 
come in contact with it in the great cities I have visited in 
ttie last few days." 

^'Then, you will pardon me for saying it, you have not 
seen peonage; for there is as much difference between the 
conditions of the peons in the cities, and those out on the 
grreat plantations as there is difference between darkness 
and li^ht!" 

By this time our host and hostess with their guests, had 
gathered about the venerable priest, who through a long ob- 
servant life had g'athered such a fund of information, and 
possessed such a rare faculty of disseminating it in a pleas- 
ing way. 

"You will recognize with me," continued Father Tupper 
"that the human mind is so constituted it can seize upon the 
most insignificant thing that comes within the range of con- 
scienciousness and by it make a sad lot to possess much of 
joy and pleasure. 

"You readily recall the story of a prisoner held in soli- 
tary confinement whose whole life was changed in this way. 

"As the story goes, a large hungry rat stole slyly into 
his lonely cell one day to pick up the few crumbs that 
v/ere on the floor. The wretched man noted this fact with 
gladness, and took care to drop some of the bread, that was 
his sole food, where the rat could easily find it, if it should 
return. This was repeated day by day till the rat became 
so tame it lingered in the presence of its benefactor, some 
days for hours; thus completely changing his miserable life. 

"Keeping this great principal in our thought in con- 
sidering the lot of the city peon, sad as it is, we will see 
there is much to ameliorate his condition not enterng into 
the life of the peon on the great plantaions. 

"The peon of the city has the environment of the city. 
The brilliantly lighted streets; the magnificent buildings; the 
elegant shops; the beautiful parks; the entrancing music 
rendered by the municipal hands; the gray throngs of people 
promenading in the plazas, or sailing away in the blue in 
fantastically shaped ships of the air; yes he has many things 
to soften a bit his hard lot. 



116 THE LOST LINE 

"But on the average plantation the life of the peon is a 
ceaseless grind in squalor, filth, wretchedness, and a hopeless 
despair unbelievable until seen, as I have seen it during the 
years of my ministry to this enslaved people. 

"To appreciate this, go w^ith me in your thought out onto 
one of these plantations where possibly a thousand peon 
families toil and slave from one end of the year to the other. 

"You will note the average peon home is an adobe hut 
of a single room from ten to twelve feet wide, by twelve to 
sixteen feet long. 

"If you will tarry by this hut till night fall you will find 
that this "immense" room shelters from six to twelve hu- 
man beings! 

"A little further observation v/ould enable you to see 
there can be but a semblance of home keeping, for the women 
must be in the fields as well as the men — only at short inter- 
vals when their physical condition absolutely prevents it. 

"On these plantations the peon must arise at four 
thirty A. M., be in the fields, or at other tasks at six, con- 
tinuing work till noon, when there is an hour for dinner and 
rest; then back to the tasks at one, continuing usually till 
sundown. 

"I have seen these miserable peon mothers come to their 
desolate homes at night fall, prepare supper, eat a few 
mouthfulls of what was not devoured by their half famished 
children, and without any effort at ^tidying up', throw them- 
selves upon their miserable pallets of rags or straw, for the 
rest and sleep they must have for the tasks of the morrow. 

"You v/ill not wonder then when I tell you that out of 
pity for those poor women and their wretched families, when 
visiting the sick in those hovels, I have destroyed great 
brown knots of vermin that had collected in the upper cor- 
ners of the sqalid rooms, and with my own hands, otherwise 
cleaned and made somewhat sanitary, the dwellings of these 
poor sheep for whom Christ died?" 

As the kindhearted priest finished this account, his eyes 
were full of tears and his voice trembled with emotion. 
But recovering himself in a moment he turned to me say- 



THE LOST LINE 117 

ing,/'You will pardon me I am sure, if I seem to leave the 
subject in which we are both greatly interested, for there 
is a matter of which I must speak at this time; for I note that 
the four o'clock edition of "The Messenger'' referred to Senor 
Oiver P. Blaidsdell, the nominee of the Industrial Party for 
the office of Attorney General, with a sneer, as a peon. 

"Yes he was a peon; and a nobler peon never breathed 
than Senor Blaidsdell!" 

It was fascinating to note the change that came over 
the venerable man; the eyes that a few moments before were 
filled with tears of pity for the down trodden, now flashed 
fire; and he who as a priest of God was "a tender shepherd of 
souls", showed himself just as much a fighter for the right. 

"I know there will be all sorts of rumors concerning 
Senor Blaidsdell's past," the priest continued; and turning to 
Governor Sherwood and Senor Grey Eagle he said, "I want 
you standard bearers of The Industrial Party to know the 
facts, that by voice and pen you m.ay meet these malignant 
attacks." 

"It gives me great pleasure," Governor Sherwood re- 
sponded, "and I am sure I can speak for Senor Grey Eagle, 
and the rest of the company as well, to have you give us the 
correct account of Senor BlaidsdelFs struggle up from peonage 
to that fitness which qualifies him to fill any office within the 
gift of the people of the State of New Mexico." 

"When Senor Blaidsdell was a boy of tv/elve years," 
Father Tupper resumed, "he was so sick on a June morning 
he could not rise when the gong sounded, from his pallet 
of straw where all night long the vermin had preyed upon 
his feverish body! 

"His master, v/ho had been thrown into a violent rage by 
some hapening of the morning discovered the boy had not 
arisen, made his way into the hut where the poor sufferer 
was lying, and beat him so unmercifully he was unable to 
leave his bed for days. This inhuman treatment aroused 
such bitterness and resentment in the sensative high strung 
lad, he resolved on self destruction, and deliberately began to 
plan to carry out his terrible purpose. 



118 THE LOST LINE 

"When he had recovered sufficiently to work a little with 
his hands, he induced his father, whose work was among the 
horses, to bring him hair from their tails that he might plait 
a rope that he secretly designed to be the instrum.ent of his 
destruction. 

"But one day as the rope neared completion, it occurred 
to it's maker that he could obtain sweeter revenge by ob- 
taining an education and then find a way to earn money 
sufficient to pay the debt that held his father and all the 
family in peonage. 

"W^en I came in my rounds to the miserable hut in which 
the boy and his family lived, he told me the whole sad story; 
and then timidly unfolded his plans. Before I left his bed- 
side I offered to become his teacher; he coming to me on 
stated nights after his work v/as done on the plantation. 

"It was a gigantic undertaking, but he never wavered; 
and in due time was ready for college. 

"But when this task was completed the greatest difficulty 
confronted him that he had yet faced; for a peon may not 
leave his master's plantation while the debt that holds him in 
peonage is unpaid. Of course, he could' come to my home, 
for no peon could be kept from visiting his parish priest, 
and as priest of a particular parish I could go, thank God, any- 
where in that field to visit, and minister to anyone who need- 
ed my services, in spite of the most cruel master. 

"It is also a law, that when the peon tenders to his master 
the amount of the debt that holds him in peonage, the master 
must accept it and give him his freedom. 

"The night young BlaidsdelFs last examination was taken 
and his preparation for college was found complete and 
thorough, he remained with me till the first grey streaks of 
dawn were showing in the east for we had become comrades; 
no father could have loved a son more dearly than I loved 
this noble soul. 

"But in spite of our wonderful joy that the work was 
completed he was sad; for he knew full well he could not go 
away to school while he was yet a peon, and no way he could 
see presented itself for him to earn the money to buy his 
freedom. 



THE LOST LINE 119 

**But I knew he was the right sort, and before we parted 
that autumn morning it was all settled and when his father 
came from the fields that evening he sought an interview with 
his master, as he sometimes did on matters concerning his 
work, tendered him the amout of the debt that held himself 
and family in peonage, received a receipt for it, and went out 
from the interview with the freedom of himself and every 
member of his family. 

"I could command a scholarship for young Blaidsdell in 
one of our best colleges, and the rest of his expenses he 
earned himself; completing the course with the honors of his 
class." 

When Father Tupper finished this account of the strug- 
gles of a young peon, Senora Sherwood expressed the senti- 
ments of the entire company when she said, "I wish to thank 
you Father Tupper for this bit of history; for to me it is 
most yonderful." 

Without comment, the enthusiastic padre resumed with a 
merry twinkle in his eyes; "But this is only half the story; 
justice demands I tell the other half; the story of the escape 
of his beautiful and accomplished wife from peonage." 

At this we drew a little nearer to the priest anxious to 
get every word of this second romance of a prosaic planta- 
tion. 

"When young Blaidsdell had competed his first year in 
college". Father Tupper resumed, "his work as an employee 
of the County Authorities, took him one day in the vacation 
period, to an adjoining plantation to the one on which he was 
born and grew up. 

"Hoeing in a field of beans that beautiful summer morn- 
ing, was a fair haired young woman of eighteen years; 
Senorita Marie Taylor, with eyes as blue as the sky and 
limpid as a mountain lake. 

"She had led a free wild life with her two brothers in 
their mountain home for three glad happy years after com- 
ing to New Mexico, before peonage engulfed them after the 
death of their father through the very debt he contracted in 
the purchase of the stallion that killed him. 

"Their pastime was horse back riding, fishing for trout 



120 THE LOST LINE 

in the mountain brooks, hunting for grouse, wild turkeys, 
deer, and bear, and trapping, not only the small fur bearing 
animals, but coyotes and wolves. 

"Coming alone one morning to a heavy trap she had set, 
she found it held a large wolf in its powerful jaws. Fearing 
her prize might escape if she went to call one of her brothers, 
she seized a small pole, ten or twelve feet in length, and suc- 
ceeded in striking it a severe blow squarely across the back 
w*Mch temporarily disabled it's hind legs; and before it recov- 
ered from this she rained blov/s upon it's head sufficient to 
kill it. 

"Just as young Baidsdell reached that part of the field 
where Senorita Taylor was working, the overseer, apparently 
because she was not moving as rapidly as he thoug'ht she 
ought, but in reality because she had persistently resisted his 
advances, struck her a sharp cut with his long whip. 

"Instantly she dropped her hoe, turned full upon him, 
her face white with wrath, nostrills dilated, bosom heaving; 
then without a v/ord she sprang with the swiftness of a tigress 
to v/here he was standing with an insolent grin on his harden- 
ed face, snached the whip out of his hand, struck him a 
blinding blow across the eyes, with trie heavy stalk, sprang 
back to her place and cracked the v/hip in his face a couple 
of times, the rawhide lash cutting to the bone; threw the 
whip at his feet, and stood the very picture of scorn as she 
faced her insulter! She who had killed with a club the grey 
beast of prey, had visited swift terrible puninhment on a 
human vv^olf ! 

"But by this time the slow working wits of the overseer 
came to his aid, and he lunged forward to kill in her tracks, 
the woman who dared to defend herself from his beastality. 

"But Senor Blaidsdell had anticipated his move, inter- 
cepted him hj a few quick steps and landed a powerful blow 
to the jaw which put him where he would not make any 
trouble for a few moments; then said to the girl, "You must 
come with me to Father Tupper, with the information you 
can give and with what I have seen this morning to help him, 
he can save you from trouble in this matter". Then because 



THE LOST LINE 121 

of something more tender than pity, a pure Heaven bom love, 
be gently took her arm and led her to me. 

**I interviewed the master in the young woman's behalf, 
demanded the overseer be dismissed and instructed to make 
himself scarce in the county, v/hich he was very glad to do. 

"But strange as it may seem, word of this episode 
reached the ears of an uncle of Senorita Taylor who had 
come to Nev/ Mexico from an Atlantic state to look up his 
brother and family from whom he could get no word. This 
uncle delivered his brother's widow and her children from 
peonage, and looked after the education of her daughter and 
two sons.'' 

I was voicing my thanks to Father Tupper for the 
vivid picture he had given me of peon life, when a some- 
what excited page appeared at the door and announced, 
"Some cards, your Excellency; there is a party of six persons 
at the entrance to the grounds, and they are quite insistent on 
being admitted." 

"'The Governor scanned the cards for a m.oment unable 
to make out what was on them; and then handed them t/o 
Senor Keeling saying, "Can you make anything out of the 
letters and words written on these cards, Senor Keeling?" 

Senor Keeling's face instantly lighted, though it was 
evident he was greatly surprised. 

Handing the fiist card back to the Governor, he said, " *J. 
H.' we ought to recognize, and the words written below the 
initials — It seems to be as the padre has said, we are all in 
the same class' — for your excellency uttered them a few 
nights ago." 

Then the Governor's face lighted up, and he said: "I 
know who it is now, but hov/ came he to be here I wonder?" 

Then Senor Keeling continued, "There is only one person 
in the world who would write 'J. H. L.' and under these 
initials, the words, 'This is wisdom'; it will be perfectly safe 
for you to have the party brought in Ssnor Sherwood." 

Hastily writing instructions for the guard at the gate, 
the Governor handed the missive to the page saying, "Bring 
the party in." 

When the page had gone, the Governor addressed him- 



122 THE LOST LINE 

self to the wondering company saying, "One of this party at 
the gate you will be pleased to know, is Senor Harcourt; the 
other is the Honorable Senor James Helper Lansdown, presi- 
dent of the Order called, *The Builders', whom you all will 
greatly enjoy meeting." Then raising his hand in protest to 
what he knew was forthcoming, he laughingly remarked, 
"No, do not ask me how the party comes to be here, for I 
haven't the slightest idea, unless they were at the convention 
today and wish to look in on us before their return to Head- 
quarers. We will have to wait for an answer until the 
mysterious mission arrives and answers for itself/' 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE BATTLE OF THE SCRIBES 

We knew the party would be in disguise, but we thought 
in spite of that we would be able to recognize Senor Har- 
court, and the hope was expressed by our company that 
Senora Harcourt would also be among our nocturnal visitors; 
but when they were ushered into the reception room there 
was not a familiar face among them. 

We saw what purported to be a rich Spanish gentleman, 
his lovely cultured wdfe, and beautiful daughter, who were 
evidently touring Columbia, attended by three friars of their 
native land, to give spiritual comfort and counsel. 

So completely had everyone in the party made up his 
disguise, we were embarrassed for a moment; but this van- 
ished completely when the younger ^'Spanish?'' woman seized 
the hands of Governor and Senora Sherwood exclaiming, "0, 
Uncle and Auntie! how glad I am to be back once more in 
this dear old place, and see your faces again!'' 

Then the largest of the "friars" threw off his cowl and 
joined his wife in greeting the Sherwoods. I shall not try to 
describe the joy that possessed us all; or the merriment 
caused when Senor Harcourt introduced his "brother friars" 
and playfully pulled aside their somber robes, revealing two 
forty five automatic revolvers hanging from each man's belt; 
for each of these "brothers" was a "two gun man", of skill 
unsurpassed. 

"Of course you are wondering why we are here at this 
hour of the night," commented Senor Landsdown, when he 
and his wife were introduced, "but I can assure you, your 
welcome makes us glad to be here; but I feel it will be best 
for Senor Harcourt to explain matters, which I am sure he 
will be glad to do". 

"I am certain you have all easily recognized", began 
Senor Harcourt, "that I am as happy as a boy to be here; 
but to explain fully why we ventured out from Headquarters 
I may not be able to do, so many, many motives entered 
into it. 



124 THE LOST LINE 

*'But in the first place, we wanted to be in this public 
opening of the great battle for Freedom, for the inexpressible 
pleasure it would give us. Then Senor Landsdown felt it 
would be of incalculable value to him, to be at the state con- 
vention of New Mexico, in helping direct the fight in other 
states. So we conceived this plan of coming incognito. 

^T/e were fully aware of the danger it would subject us 
to, especially myself, as I have been so recently conspicuously 
before the public; yet it was the belief of us all, that with 
myself and my peaceful looking "brothers'' here, disguised 
as we were, suspicion of any member of the party would be 
much more improbable*'. 

"But when, pray, did you reach Santa Fe?" inquired 
Senora Sherwood, her surprise and delight still manifest. 

"0, vve were in at the opening v/ord of the Convention all 
rig'ht;'' Senor Harcourt returned his eyes a tv/inkle; "Our 
party had the choice of seats reserved for spectators and we 
were close enough to the platform to hear all the speakers 
without effort." 

"And yet, not one of us had the faintest idea, I am sure, 
that you were there," commented his questioner, "When 
probably we were looking directly into your faces!" 

"I will admit it was a thrilling moment," continued the 
enthusiastic narrator, as a generous smile lighted his face, 
'When Senor Sherwood opened the Conventon for he seemed 
to look only at me!" 

"I surely thoug'ht," interposed Senora Harcourt, "that 
Senora Grey Eagle v/ould recognize me when she was deliver- 
ing that masterly address; but I felt no fears; for I knew if 
she saw through the disguise of all of us, she would show no 
sign". 

"Thank you Senora Harcourt," responded Senora Grey 
Eagle with a gracious smile, "I remember your party very 
well; but thought of course I was addressing a company of 
tourists from the Old ¥/orld as I had seen such parties a few 
times in my home country. 

"But from the intense interest manifested by you all, I 
must say I was fully confident you were in sympathy with the 
principles I was trying to promulgate." 



THE LOST LINE 125 

"It required more restraint than I 'have had to exercise 
for a long time to keep from cheering when some of the 
great points of that history making address were made, I 
can assure you", graciously interposed Senor Lansdown. 

Continuing he said; *'That v/as a great Convention! Great 
in numbers, and great in the v/onderful principles set forth in 
the platform, and enunciated by every speaker! 

"I v/as simpiy astonished to see the delegations deport 
themselves as they did. Even the delegations from the most 
isolated portions of the state, carried themselves with a 
poise, manifested an interest, and showed an insight, that 
augurs only good for the cause of Freedom." 

These comments led to a rediscussion of the Convention, 
to v/hich every member of the company contributed some- 
thing. 

After breakfast the next morning, Governor Sherwood 
excused himself to his guests for a few moments to attend 
to some urgent official business; but when he came into the 
reception room where his wife and their guests were gathered, 
he carried in his hand two of the city papers of the day be- 
fore; the four o'clock edition of "The Messenger", and the 
seven o'clock edition of "The News". 

His eyes v/ere tv/inkling and we could see something of 
more than ordinary interest was engaging him. 

"I see", he said with a generous smile, "The Messenger 
has announced the doom of The Industrial Party, and the 
doom of everyone in any way connected with it; but I am 
agreebaly surprised to fmd we have something of a champion 
in The News. 

"My secretary called my attention to these editorials 
this morning and I have been able to give them but the 
briefest survey; now if it is the pleasure of the company, I 
wish we might consider them together." 

Consent to this proposition was unanimous. Then turn- 
ing to his niece the Governor said, "Senora Harcourt, you 
will do me and this company a great favor by reading these 
editorials". Then handing her the copy of The Messenger, 
the fair lady read: 



126 THE LOST LINE 

A STATE CONVENTION. 

There is being held in a mammoth pavillion in the 
outskirts of this city today, a so called State Convention, 
made up of delgations of peons, religious fanatics, dis- 
gruntled politicians and soreheads of various kinds, from 
all over the state of New Mexco, under the name of The 
Industrial Party. 

From what we can learn such gatherings will be 
held in all the States of Columbia and the movement will 
head up in a National Convention in Chicago, Illinois on 
the 20th day of this m.onth. It appears that the disgrace- 
ful scenes recently enacted at Columbus in the southern 
part of this state, where protest and shameless sacrilege 
were shown against the sale of indulgences in particular, 
and The Holy Apostolic Church in general, are being 
reenacted through the spread of anti-religious sentiment 
and haughty rebellious political doctrines which, it can 
be plainly seen, strike at the foundation of the present 
system of government, and the authority of The Holy 
Roman See! 

Little do these miscreants realize what they are do- 
ing! That they are striking at the very body of Christ 
when they are making this attack on the Holy Apostolic 
Catholic Church. Little do they realize the punishing 
power of his holiness, the successor of St. Peter the vice- 
general of Christ upon earth, when 'his wrath is taxed 
beyond endurance ! 

We are authorized to say, by no less a personage 
than Cardinal Cappelli the mouthpiece of the Vatican 
for this part of the world, that all true Caholics are 
commanded to arise and scourge these unholy men and 
women from the face of the earth, permit these heretics 
no more peaceful enjoyment of the simplest creature 
comforts. Treat them as enemies within our midst. 

He who destroys such, will have done the Church a 
noble and signal service, and will receive for his good 
offices the papal benediction, and may expect special 
favors and exaltato^ ^n the world to come! And v/e are 



THE LOST LINE 127 

informed that it will be the unrelenting policy of the 
papal See to stamp out this heretical uprising at any cost, 
and crush without mercy all who aid and abet the peons 
to arise from their relationship of servants to their mas- 
ters. 

"You can see fellow patriots where The Industrial Party 
is to end, what is to be the happy lot of its standard bearers, 
and all who would in any way help the downtrodden to throw 
off the yoke of industrial servitude", commented Governor 
Sherwood. 

"I remember", laughingly remarked Senor Lansdown, 
"That the first direction in a famous receipe for roasting a 
rabbit was, Tirst catch your rabbit' ". Then sobering he said, 
"Yet, I do not wish to be regarded as treating the threats of 
this henchman of the Vatican lightly; for we will feel the 
heavy hand of wrath. The question is, 'Will we be able as 
an organization, and as individuals to survive'?" 

"No, we are not to receive the deliverances of Cardinal 
Cappelli with complacency", commented Father Tupper. "I 
have observed that when the Vatican threatens, those threats 
are executed. 

"But," he continued, and his serious face glowed with an 
unearthly light, "there is a limit even to God's patience! The 
Church now mistress of the world, 'dealing in the bodies and 
souls of men', may be just now, where, 'her judgment now of n 
long time lingereth not, and her damnation slumbereth not! 
The Holy One may be crying of her even now, 'Rejoice over 
her thou Heaven and ye Holy apostles and prophets, for God 
hath avenged you on her!'^ 

When Father Tupper finished this comment, silence held 
the company, for all felt the aged priest, consciusoly, or un- 
consciously, had uttered a prophecy. There was a strange 
gripping at my own heart, an earnest of the pain this judg- 
ment was to one day cause me! 

As no one else in the company seemed disposed to offer 
comments on the editorial, the Governor turned to his niece 
saying, "It seems we are ready for the Editorial in The 
News", then Senora Harcourt read: 



128 THE LOST LINE 

AN AROUSED SCRIBE 

Our worthy contemporary of The Messenger, is very 
much stirred up over the Convention of The Industrial 
Party being held in this City today. Now we have not 
"gone off'* with this erratic movement of the peons and 
laboring classes in general, holding this convention, who 
it seems propose to grapple in a fight to the death with 
"the system", whose tyranny they say they can endure no 
longer. 

My brethren of the newspaper world, know, as editor 
of The News, we have held a free lance for some years, 
in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the whole 
people. 

So, v/hile we have no "axe to grind", in this deal, yet 
right is right wherever found, and we expect to speak our 
mind at any cost to ourselves. 

First, let me say. The News fully agrees with The 
Messenger and his eminence Cardinal Cappelli, when 
they say, "His holiness will stamp out this movement, and 
crush without mercy all who aid and abet the peon world 
in their efforts to rise out of their present condition of 
servitude." 

Yes, this will be done all right, unless something 
unforseen occurs to prevent it, for these Holy (?) men, 
the pope and their fawning sycophants, have found ways 
by which this could be done in the centuries of the past, 
and it is not to be thought for a moment that the pres- 
ent incumbent of "St. Peter^s Chair", will be one whit 
behind those who have reigned and ruled there before 
him. 

Fra Girolamo Savonarola was led out to the stake 
on a fair May day in 1498 to die in ihe flames; and for 
what ? His crime was the preaching of the simple gospel 
of Christ, and his efforts to get the people of his beloved 
Florence to leave off sin, and be good. And because he 
denounced the wickedness of Pope Alexandrer VI. and the 
hierarchy! 

John Huss, Jerome of Prague, Latimer, Cranmer, 



THE LOST LINE 129 

and Ridely, were also burned to death at the stake for 
preaching the pure word of God, and denouncing the Sins 
of the leaders of the church and the people of their times. 

To this bright galaxy of immortals who had rather 
die most ignominous deaths than deny the truth, are to 
be added the uncounted thousands of brave souls, whose 
names are not written in any ear-thly records, that perish- 
ed in those five unparalled days of "The Massascre of St. 
Bartholomew's'', and the bloody terrible years of the 
Spanish Inquisition. 

Then it will be perfectly clear to anyone who reads 
the history of The Reformation, that Martin Luther, the 
leading figure in that great movement, would have been 
destroyed by the high tempered pope, Leo X., had he not 
been protected by powerful German princes, the edge of 
whose bright keen swords, he dare not brave! 0, yes, the 
movement v/ill be stamped out all right, and it's leaders 
crushed! 

We note also with amusement, that our esteemed 
brother of The Messenger in the use of the expression 
"The Successor of St. Peter", consents to the claim of the 
Church that St. Peter was the first Pope. A claim we 
have been taught to reverence from our earliest infancy. 
If w^e would receive the teaching of the Church in the 
matter, we would believe that St. Peter soon after he 
came to Rome to preach the Gospel, under the special 
directions of God, built the pontifical throne, ascended it 
and sat thereon to the day of his death, having special 
favor v^^ith both man and God. That the next to him in 
piety and good works succeeded him, and that the line 
of succession has been unbroken from that day to this! 

Now this is either ignorance, or duplicity on the 
part of the editor of The Messenger. If it is the 
former, we have some histories, the destructive hand of 
the Church has not consigned to the flames, that will 
enlighten our brother's mind. 

They are yellow with age, but they bear imprints 
that cannot be questioned, and best of all, speaking in the 
language of the street, "They deliver the Goods". These 



130 THE LOST LINE 

histories ^ive the outstanding conditions of the Chris- 
tian Church before the rise of the papacy. Before the 
rise of the Papacy? Yes! Some centuries before the 
early church had degenrated into the corrupted leprous 
thing it was when it's leaders sought for supremacy and 
emoluments. 

These histories will enable our zealous brother to 
see first, that the early Church had no public houses of 
worship for some hundreds of years after it's organiza- 
tion. That at least for 340 years after the Advent of 
Christ, no public services were held in Rome and many of 
the other cities of note. Their meetings were in secret for 
fear of persecution; and when the authorities discovered 
this custom of meeting in secret, it was made the excuse 
for further persecutions. The last great persecution 
being that under Galerius, 303-312. This may well be 
called the Era of Martyrdom! 

Our brother may read in these histories to his great 
enlightenment, if not pleasure, that Constantine was the 
first Emperor of Rome to recognize the Christians, and 
that, was in the beginning of the fourth century! That 
he published an edict of toleration of Christianity at 
Milan in 313. 

That he abandoned Rome because it's inhabitants 
were so given up to the worship of idols he could not tol- 
erate it, and founded another capital for the empire on 
the Site of Byzantium — Constantinople — and inaugurated 
this new city, capital, in 330. 

He will also find probably to his asonishment, that 
for centuries after the Church was recognized by Con- 
stantine, the bishops of Constantinople, Alexandrie, 
Dalmatia, Syracuse, and of Rome disputed over and over 
Again, who among them should be regarded as leader; 
who among them, should take precedence over their 
fellows. 

A general council of the Christian Church at Chalce- 
don in the fifth century, knew nothing of the Supremacy 
of Rome. This general council is on record as declaring 
that precedence in the Church is not derived from divine 



THE LOST LINE 131 

appointment, or succession to the Apostles, but from the 
dignity of the cities that chanced to be seats of clerical 
power. 

Greg-ory I., or Gregory The Great, was elected Pop€ 
by the unanimous voice of the clergy the Senate and the 
people, and was confirmed by his temporal soverign, the 
Byzantine Emperor Maurice, in 590, but you will search 
in vain for any claims by him to a universal bishopric 
or popehood; though he was urged by his ambitious sup- 
porters to do this. 

On the other hand the patriarch of Constantinople, 
John IV. did assume the title of '^Universal Bishop'* which 
provoked and irritated Gregory The Great, beyond meas- 
ure, for he characterized this act of his rival as, "A fool- 
ish, proud, profane, wicked, pestiferous, blasphemous, 
and diabolical usurption,^' and compared him who used 
the title to Lucifer! "But this desire for the supremacy 
of Rome was flaming in the hearts of the ambitious, and 
was soon to come; for the second of Gregory's successors, 
Boniface III, in 607, assumed the title 'Universalis Epis- 
copus', when he had obtained from Phocas the Emperor, 
a decree 'making' the See of Peter — Rome — 'the head 
of all the Churches!' This claim of Boniface III. to the 
universal bishopric, Phocas, "the most odius sanguinacy 
tyrant who had ever seized the throne of Constantinople', 
pledged to defend with the sword. 

"So we feel confident that in these books that are 
at the disposal of our brother at any time, he will easily 
find full proof that the bones of St. Peter had been peace- 
fully resting on the banks of The Tiber, and his great 
soul safely sheltered in Abraham's Bosom for centuries, 
before The Church ever thought of "making" him pope. 
It is needless to say, we w^ere greatly surprised as well 
•e pleased over this outspoken editorial. 

Father Tupper was the first to comment on it. 
"Father Harcourt", he began, for the venerable priest 
j^ersistently refused to address the deposed padre by any 
•ther title, "how is that for an editor of a secular newspaper 
•t gnch a perilous time in the world's history as this?" 



132 THE LOST LINE 

*^It could scarcely be stronger, Father Tupper, if writ- 
ten by one of our own men; and I must say, I have never read 
an article that in so fev/ words hit the nail more squarely on 
the head than this editorial. 

"This idea of 'making', as the writer puts it, St. Peter 
Pope, centuries after he died, is amusing to us, and amusing, 
because we know it is true; but it will stir the hierachy as 
even we 'miscreants of The Industrial party, are not stir- 
ring it.'' 

"Yes, that is so"; responded the aged priest, "and if it 
were not so serious a matter, I w-ould be fairly convulsed 
with merriment, but as you suggest, we know as impartial 
students of history, that this last statement of the editorial • 
is the plain unvarnished truth; "classing" St. Peter as first 
pope, was an after thought; but a very convenient after 
thought however, as it aided the ambitious Boniface and the 
shameless murderer, Phocas, to enforce their claims, as the 
editor has so clearly pointed out." 

"Well, Father Tupper," inquired Senor Grey Eaglo, 
"From what came then, the grounds for this cUim?" 

"That is a pertinent question Senor Grey Eagle, and I 
am most happy to answer it. This claim was founded on 
the belief, supported by the early traditions of the Church, 
that the Apostle Peter planted the church in Rome and died 
there, a martyr. This tradition taken in connection wath the 
alleged pre-eminence of Peter amiong the company of 
Christs disciples, came to be regarded as sufficient reason 
for the primacy of the bishop of Rome', so it was a very 
handy thing to make St. Peter the first pope, when ambi- 
tious self seeking men wished to find a ground, or justifica- 
tion for lording it over their brethern, and to make merchan- 
dise of holy things. Hence the papacy, vdth it's intrigue, 
it's tyranny, and it's corruption at times, unbelievable. 
Thus were the old things done away, the simplicity that Is 
in Christ utterly repudiated, and thus was laid the founda- 
tions of the present heavy handed and imperial Church that 
superimposed, over bearing organization, that has wrought 
such untold abuses and miseries among human kind, and 



THE LOST LINE 133 

against v/hich the unnumbered multitudes of the oppressed 
are today contending for their very existence!" 

Senor Keeling broke the hush that for a moment per- 
vaded the room following this arraingment of papacy by the 
aged man of God. 

"Father Tupper'', he began," I hope you will not think 
me rude, and I hope I will not be taking the time that be- 
longs to the other members of this company, if I break in 
here with a question?" 

"I shall certainly have no such thought, Senor Keeling," 
Father Tupper returned graciously. 

*^I think", interposed Governor Sherwood, "that Senor 
Keeling has first rights in this, as a pioneer in the fight for 
freedom; and I feel confident I speak for all my guests, 
when I say an answer to any question Senor Keeling may 
be pleased to ask, will be of great interest to us, that ans- 
wer coming from our honored co-laborer, Father Tupper!" 

"I have been an interested student of the history of the 
disintegration of Protestantism", Senor Keeling continued, 
"and it has occurred to me, Father Tupper, that you must 
have witnessed some of that sad work, and must have come 
face to face with some of the causes contributing to the 
lamentable disaster?" 

Father Tupper settled back a little in his chair, placed 
his elbows upon it's arms, drummed his long fingers together 
in a reminiscent mood as if in memory traveling back over 
the long years of his eventful life, then answered, his face 
glowing with that strange light we had seen there before. 

"Yes, I did Senor Keeling, and as you suggest, it was 
sad, sad work for all the world. No one v/ill know till the 
books are opened when *The Great White Throne' appears in 
mid heaven on the Judgment Day morning, how much of loss 
and ruin it caused the race, nor the awful turpitude of 
those directly responsible for this disintergration! 

"This failure of protestantism to continue it's God given 
work of preaching salvation by simple faith in Christ alone, 
brour^ht great grief to my own heart. For no one can know 
but those who have witnessed it, how great was the reflex 



134 THE LOST LINE 

influence of Protestantism on the Catholic Church, while 
Protestantism was true to her incomparable mission! 

^'One mght ask then, Vhy did you not become Pro- 
testant'? Weil, a man does not change such a relationship 
easily, even when he realizes things are going wrong. Then 
Catholicism was the religion of my mother; and in it were 
all the associations and relationships so dear to one^s heart. 

**Then no protectant Christian ever had a clearer con- 
version than I, and no preacher of the Protestant faith, a 
more definite urgent call to the ministry, than I had to the 
priesthood! And I was certain my mission was to the poor 
down trodden portions of the people in the church, and to 
them I gave sixty years of the best of my life. I may also 
say, and I hope I will not be thought egotistical, that it was 
the greatest ambition of my life and ministry to lead those 
to whom I ministered, into a conscious personal knowledge 
of salvation from sin by faith in Christ; and I was fearful 
as to v/hat would become of these, if I were shut away from 
them by a change of Church relationship. 

^*But the evil was largely wrought anyhow before I came 
actively into the field; protestantism had already sold her 
birthright! 

"This evil work began back in the 19th century. As 
early as that ethical preaching began to supplant doctrinal 
preaching. The emphasis began to be laid on *doing' rather 
than ^being\ Hence multitudes came into the Churches, 
without a renev/al of their spiritual nature, without salvation 
from sin; and because of this their hungry unsatisfied 
hearts grasped eagerly anything that promised relief. 

"Thus ritualism came to have great attractions for them. 
A Church that offered them forms and showy ceremonials, 
penance, and the confessional, things that made them feel 
they were doing something to make themselves pleasing to 
God, seemed a desired haven from the soul unrest, captivated 
them, and the movement set in towards Catholicism with the 
disastrous results v/e see to-day !'' 

At this point, at the suggestion of Senor Sherwood the 
company resolved itself into a sort of council to consider 
matters of importance to New Mexico as we were on the eve 



THE LOST LINE 135 

of the national Convention of The Industrial party at 
Chicago, and especially as our party, and "The Spanish 
Tourists" must take to the air at 11 o'clock p. m. for the trip 
back to The Builders Headquarters. 



CHAPTER XIII. 
PAPAL POLITICAL PLOTTING 

Contrary to our expectations the matters needing consid- 
eration in the council called by Serxor Sherwood were dis- 
posed of in a much shorter time than was anticipated and 
those taking part were free to converse or walk through 
the beautiful grounds, or otherwise occupy the time till the 
evening meal w^as serv^ed. 

The Governor, Senora Sherw^ood and a half dozen of 
their guests lingered in the room where the council was held 
after the rest of the company had gone. 

"I feel this company v/ould be very greatly benefitted by 
listening to Father Tupper for a while again if he can be 
induced to talk; especially if he will give us some of the 
events of his own personal history ;'' Senor Sherwood sug- 
gested after the distinguished man of God, and Senor Grey 
Eagle, had left the room arm in arm. 

This was a joy to me, for I felt there must have been 
some mal'^^elous events in the world's history of which he 
knew, the accounts of w^hich had not come dowTi to us, be- 
cause they had been suppressed. 

"The parties leaving for The Builders' Headquarters will 
not get away till eleven o'clock", continued the Governor, **so 
I propose v/e ask this man, whose like will never be seen again 
by this generation, to give us after supper, what he may 
choose to give, out of his eventful history of at least eighty 
years". 

Vvhen supper was over, and we w^ere assembled again in 
the reception room, Governor Sherwood laid our request be- 
fore Father Tupper saying, "Our guests, Senora Sherwood 
and myself will be greatly delighted if you will give us some 
further accounts of your personal contact with the history of 
the world in one of the most marvelous periods of all time." 

The aged man of God w^as visibly moved by this enthus- 
iastic whole hearted request, and after a m^oment's silence 
began to speak and as he did so I saw again that marvelous 
glow of light illuminating his classic features. 



THE LOST LINE 137 

"In responding to this most hearty request, let me first 
say that I appreciate more than I can express the honor 
shown me and I am more than pleased to speak to you again 
as there is a special message on my heart to this reform 
movement. 

"I have a great mass of evidence, some of it on my per- 
son at this instant, the rest in my traveling bag, which I 
expect to turn over to his excellency the governer before 
leaving for home. For 'He, whose I am, and whom I serve', 
assures me my time for this life is short. 

"I shall lead you in this narrative, by the way of my 
one hobby, outside the fixed purpose of being a faithful minis- 
ter of Jesus Christ, the study of a branch of history that does 
not get into the books called, 'Histories'; Tapal Political 
Plotting\ 

"Tv/o agencies had- to do with arousing me to this line 
of investigation. These two agencies I v/ill speak of tonight, 
and call your attention to just two cases of this plotting 
which has brought so much misery and sorrow to the world, 
though I have hundreds of other cases. 

"Both of these I will mention, occurred in connection 
with what has been denominated 'The World War', which 
broke out in 1914, 11 years before I was born, and continued 
till November 1918, and was up to that time, the most ter- 
rific and bloody struggle the world had experienced. 

"When I was a young man of 20 years, a student in the 
University at Washington City, D. C, from which I gradu- 
ated later, there fell into my hands a pamphlet published by 
a pov/erful publishing firm whose sole business was to oppose 
the church in her efforts to become mistress of the world. 

"This pamphlet which bears the title 'The Hidden Hand 
of Popery in World Polities', let me say, was published while 
the war v/as yet raging, and of course years before protest- 
antism had capitulated. 

"I might add, that from what I could gamer, this pub- 
lishing house was hated more bitterly by the hierarchy than 
any other agency fighting Catholism." 

Here Father Tupper drew from an inside pocket a beauti. 
ful leather case, unfastened it, and taking out a worn pam- 



138 THE LOST LINE 

phlet yellow with age, held it up a moment for our inspection; 
then added with a smile, "If this document we^e not so worn, 
and old, I would ask Senora Harcourt our reader of the 
morning, to read it for us^\ 

Then he proceeded to read some extracts from it, show- 
ing such familiarity with it^s contents the text was hardly 
necessary: 

The great war, so great that no appropriate name 
can be found for it, was directly and immediately caused 
by events which occurred before a single soldier of any 
belligerent nation had been called to the colors. The 
Great war v/as caused by papal politics, the hidden hand 
of popery. 

If you will consult the tables of events leading up to 
the war, as printed in magazines and hastily prepared 
histories of the war's first year, you will find the first 
date to be that of June 28, 1914, made memorable by the 
Assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his 
morganatic wife "by Pan-Serbian Fanatics'^ 

Mark what Pan-Serbian fanatics had to do with the 
first item in the chronology of this war, because on this 
same Pan-Serbian Fanaticism hangs the real origin of 
the conditions that set the world afire. What inspired 
Serbian fanatics, Pan-Serbian fanatics, to murder the 
crown prince of Austria? To say that this murder was 
the beginning of the events that logically and chronologi- 
cally follov/ed it, may explain the following events, but 
it does not explain the murder. For every murder there 
is a motive, and the motive for murder or assassination 
is usually a strong one. 

Such being the case, is it not strange and peculiar 
that editors, speakers, magazine writers, and expon- 
ents of current history stop abruptly, and invariably 
fail to consider its cause; but start their tables of events 
from the assassination as though it were the beginning 
of everything. Let us amend the usually printed table 
of events slightly, and discuss the matter from the new 
viewpoint. Four days before the fatal day when the 



THE LOST LINE 139 

crov/n prince of Austria lost his life at the hand of Pan- 
Serbian fanatics, a deal was consummated by means of 
secret diplomacy which might well make Pan-Serbians, 
if not all Serbians fanatical. 

On June 24, 1914, a concordat or treaty, secretly 
negotiated between the Serbian Government and the 
pope, was signed and became operative at the Vatican 
palace in Rome. The contents of that treaty might well 
make any patriotic Serbian Fanatical, for it pointed 
to the end of national aspirations fostered in Serbian 
minds and aspirations through weary years of war and 
defensive struggle. By revising the table of events to in- 
clude this most important item,, our chronology of the 
great war reads as follows: 

June 24 — Concordat, destructive of Serbian national 
ambition signed at the Vatican. 

June 28 — Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the 
throne of Austria-Hungary, and his morganatic wife, 
the Dutchess of Hohenberg, assassinated at Serajevo, 
Bosnia, by a Serb Student. 

July 23 — Austrian Government delivers ultimatum 
to Serbian government containing numerous demands, 
one of v/hich was that Austrian officials should enter 
Serbia and participate in the investigation of the mur- 
der and its motive. 

July 24 — Serbia requests extension of time of con- 
sideration of the extraordinary demands of the ultima- 
tum. Request refused. 

July 25 — Serbia concedes all Austrian demands save 
that of Austrian participation in the investigation, and 
asks for international arbitration at the Hague. Austrian 
minister declares response unsatisfactory, and leaves 
Serbia. 

July 28 — Austria declares war on Serbia, and the 
next day an Austrian force attacks Belgrade, the Ser- 
bian capital. Russian troops begin to mobilize. 

July 31 — German Ultimatum sent to Russia. 

Aug. 1 — Germany declares war on Russia, and Ger- 
man troops enter Luxenburg. 



140 THE LOST LINE 

Aug. 2 — Germany invades Belgium. 

Aug. 4 — English Ultimatum to Germany. United 
States proclaims neutrality. 

Aug. 12 — France and England declare war on Aus- 
tria. Etc. 

It is unnecessary to go further with the table of 
events that followed each other so rapidly. The object 
is to show the intimate relation between the events of 
June 24, when the treaty was consummated by Jesuit 
intrigue which exasperated Serbian patriots; and June 
28, -when the assassination occurred which is commonly 
given as the immediate cause of the war. 

Francis Ferdinand was a fanatical papiest and an 
ally of Rome in the ambitious scheme to re-establish the 
Holy Eoman Empire on a magnificent scale. As com- 
mander-in-chief of the Austrian army and navy, and 
likely at any time to assume the imperial dignity, he 
was in a position to carry on diplomatic negotiations with 
all who might further his plans for uniting all the Slavs 
of the Balkans and adjacent territory under the Aus- 
trian crov/n. 

This program included the absorption of Serbia, and 
aroused all the resentment and opposition of the Ser- 
bians — especially of the Pan-Serbians who had their own 
dreams of expansion. They had no fears concerning the 
aged Emperor Joseph; but, as the plans of the arch- 
duke developed, their fear and hatred turned from the 
inactive Austrian Government to fall with all its fury 
upon the ambitious heir to its throne. 

First among the allies of Francis Ferdinand was 
the pope and papal system. The Serbians were over- 
whelmingly Greek Catholic in religion, a connection w^hich 
identified them with Russia and drew them away from 
Roman Catholic Austria. To remove that hostile condi- 
tion and bar to the archduke's plans, the effort to intro- 
duce Romanism more effecually into Serbia was made 
v/hich culminated in the concordat. There v^^ere evidently 
Serbian traitors who v/inked at and connived at the 
scheme, and helped to promote it in the hope of per- 



THE LOST LINE 141 

sonai gain. On June 24, 1914, the concordat was signed 
at the Vatican in Rome by the papal secretary of state 
and by M. Vesnitch, a Serbian ambassador. 

Consummtion of the nefarious plot, by ratification 
of that infamous document, aroused the patriotic jeal- 
ousy of the Serbian people; and stung the Pan-Serbia 
promoters to fury. They felt that their cause had been 
betrayed by their own government; and they knew that 
Austria was not as much to biarne as the heir to its 
throne. All the resentment and hatred of a patriotic 
people, tricked by a schemer, v/as directed at the ambit- 
ious militarist; and on June 28, 1914, the fourth day 
from the signing of the concordat, he fell at the hands of 
the Pan-Serbian assassin, the victim of his own am- 
bition and the resentment of a threatened people. 

Before passing this matter and consideration of the 
fact that papal politics was the immediate cause of the 
great v/ar, it is proper to remind the reader that we 
have not overlooked other factors in arriving at that 
conclusion. There were many contributing causes, but 
all of a nature to make the war possible rather than to 
start it. There were economic, as well as political, com- 
plications which brought about strained relations; but, 
bear in mind, these conditions had existed for many 
years prior to the summ.er of 1914; and might have con- 
tinued indefinitely without war had not Romanish ag- 
gressiveness and papistic ambition forced the issue. 

We know how Russia hungered for a warm-water 
harbor and outlet to the ocean — an advantage to be had 
only at the expense of Turkey or the Balkans. We know 
hov/ Germany desired freedom from the menace of the 
British navy as a condition of extending German com- 
merce and colonization. We know how France nursed 
its old grievance — its loss of Alsace and Lorraine. And 
we know how England feared the German army even as 
Germany feared the British navy. There were old 
scores and old sores that made Germany watch the Rhine 
as strenuously as England watched the weaves. These 
things, with many others created and maintained a con- 



142 THE LOST LINE 

dition in which war might break forth like fire in a 
powder house at the touch of a match. 

But there was yet no war. This strained condition 
had existed for many years, and might have existed for 
many more. It was possible that in time the more ser- 
ious sources of enmity might have been in some way 
adjusted. It was at this critical period that Rome applied 
the match. 

When Father Tupper finished the reading of these 
extracts from the pamphlet, he closed it, looked at it lovingly 
an instant, placed it in the leather case, handed it to Gov- 
ernor Sherwood, and then continued his interesting account. 

**As you know William HohenzoUern was Emperor of 
Germany at the time of this world war, and was believed by 
many to have been responsible for it. 

"Let that be as it may, it was the consensous of opinion 
of the people on this continent, that he held the place of 
power, and influence in the nations of Europe, and especially 
with Austria and Serbia, that he could have prevented the 
war by insisting that the two nations take their difficulty 
which arose over the killing of the archduke, to the inter- 
national tribunal for the settlement of disputes. 

"You will also recall that the ex-Kaiser died in exil 
exercrated by civilized mankind. 

"It was from his deathbed, there came to me the secon 
agency in the form of a message, that had to do with makin 
me an investigator of world events to find out just how much 
papal meddling had to do with these events. 

"About the time the aforesaid pamphlet came into m; 
hands, I had occasion to employ a tutor to assist me in somi 
•pecial work I was doing in church history. He was a Hoi 
kinder by birth, a man of wonderful ability and learning, an^ 
of a very genial nature; so in a short time we became fas 
friends. 

"This professor when a young man pursuing his uni- 
versity course, was dependent on his own resources; so was 
employed as a personal attendant upon the deposed monarch, 
William II., for several months before his death. 



J 



THE LOST LINE 143 

"One evening when he came to my rooms in a profes- 
sional way, neither of us seemed to have an interest in the 
work we had in hand for the evening, and fell to talking on 
other matters. 

"The Professor seemed especially reminiscent and drifted 
to his experiences with the ex-Kaiser; so I will give his 
conversation as nearly verbatim as I can: 

I am confident that at least ten days before his 
death the deposed emperor wished to make a confession. 
"Will anyone write for me?" he pitiously enquired one 
day as he awoke from a troubled sleep. But the attend- 
ing physician, who was a partisan papist to the point of 
bitterness, immediately stilled him, and administered an 
opiate. Several times after this he asked the same 
pitious question, muttering something about the pope; 
but the physician, or a trusted understudy, in charge, 
always hushed him up, and administered a hypodermic. 
But one night, after a time of unusual rest and quiet, 
the ex-Kaiser suddenly arose upon an elbow exclaim- 
ing, "0, if I had not plotted with the pope! 0, if we had 
not agreed to help each — !" but by this time the physician, 
whom I believe had the terrible secret of the dying man's 
soul in detail, had reached the bedside from an adjoin- 
ing room, forced him back onto the pillows, angrily com- 
manding: "No more of that now''; and hurriedly ad- 
ministered a drug which soon quieted the patient. This 
wa« the last precaution the physician needed to exercise 
in the care of his royal charge, for just as day was break- 
ing, the soul of the one time war lord took it's flight to 
the great tribunal. 

I believed then, and my reading and study of the 
question since has only served to strengthen the belief, 
that there was some sort of collusion between the occu- 
pant of St. Peter's chair, and the ruler of the German 
Empire during the horrible, "World War"! 
j? It has been a matter of common belief that the 

f Kaiser dreamed of World dominion, so we can see how 
the pope could have rendered him great assistance by 



144 THE LOST LINE 

throwing his influence on the side of the German cause; 
the Kaiser in turn to pay him back by delivering the 
nations over to him, i. e., see that they were made 
Catholic, when their conquest was accomplished. A 
fascinating and bewildering dream both to the man in 
txie German imperial palace, and the man in the Vatican, 
in the City of the Ceasers. 

^'This was a startling charge to me, and appeared at 
first sight somewhat plausible; but as much as I admired my 
learned tutor, and though I believed him as sincere as the 
sunlight, yet I reserved judgment until I could investigate 
thoroughly for myself. 

"I knew very well I could not look to ^History' as we 
generally speak of that excellent branch of human know- 
ledge for the final word in the matter, though that would 
serve to point the way to the v/hole truth. 

"I was certain I could find the vindication, or condemna- 
tion of these two world figures in the newspapers and cur- 
rent magazines of the days of the war, as they told the story 
chapter by chapter. 

"In my investigation I had access to a dozen files of the 
leading dailies of the nation, and of as many of the foremosi; 
magazines. 

"My plan was to take the daily accounts of themove- 
ments of the Kaiser and the pope, from the beginning of the 
war to. it's close. 

"Then to consider the events as they occurred through- 
out the war; events that w^ere of such a nature that thejj 
could not have transpired v/ithout the acquiescence of bot] 
the pope and the Kaiser, though the hand of neither was to 
be seen. 

"I first considered Ireland's attitude to the war, an over- 
whelmingly Catholic country. 

"I found to my astonishment that three uprisings were 
planned in that Island against the Government of England, 
during the war and that these uprisings were to have been 
aided by troops, and munitions of war from Germany. 

"I also discovered that if these revolutions, or any one of 



tl| 



THE LOST LINE 145 

them had been successful, German submarine bases would 
have been established on the coast of Ireland, the operation 
of which; would have gone far towards paralyzing England's 
naval efforts, and would have been the means for the destruc- 
tion of American vessels that would later transport soldiers 
across the Atlantic to take part in the titanic struggle. 

"My researches, revealed the fact that the Catholic 
hierarchy of Ireland resisted the lav/ of conscription, called 
on Irishmen to meet in every parish and in the presence of 
their priest to pledge themselves to resist the law and to 
refuse to fight against the Germans. 

"I knew too much about the solidarity of Catholicism — 
that it is a unit from the parish priest up to the occupant of 
St. Peter's chair — not to know that the hierarchy would not 
take such an outstanding position, unless it were perfectly 
agreeable to his holiness. I also found there never was a 
syllable of condemnation uttered by the pope against the 
action of the hierarchy! 'Silence gives consent'. 

"But my plain everyday horse sense told me, that the 
German nation would not send, could not send troops and 
munitions to aid Irish rebellions against England, unless the 
Kaiser gave such orders. I also knew intuitively that the 
pope would not stand idly by while a Catholic nation, thous- 
ands of his flock, were making rebellions, unless those rebel- 
lions were pleasing to him; for why should his children so ma- 
terially aid the Kaiser, unless he had a special interest in the 
ambitious monarch and his enterprises. No; the pope does not 
put his hand in a bag to pull out a plum for someone else, 
unless he expects to get as large, and as ripe a one for him- 
self. 

"The next event that attracted my attenion in my in- 
vestigations, was what had been called, ^The Mercier Incident*. 
I knew something of it from my general reading, but when I 
came to consult the newspapers and magazines I found it 
amounted almost to a scandal in the day of it's occurence. 

"You will recall that when the war began, the neutrality 
of Belgium was violated by Gemany in her attempt to cross 
Belgian territory with her army, as it afforded a safer and 



146 THE LOST LINE 

much more expeditious route to France which she wished to 
reach in the shortest possible time. 

"Belgium resisted this passage and as a result her ter- 
ritoiy was overrun by German hords, devastating, killing, 
outraging and plundering in their victorous advances as was 
never before equaled in what is called, 'Civilized warfare.* 

"Cardinal Mercier, whose character as a Catholic and 
a citizen was irreproachable, was broken hearted over the 
woes of his people, and visited Rome believing the pope would 
hear the cry of his flock, in bleeding dying Belgium, for the 
country was overwhelmingly Catholic; but the good Cardinal 
was coldly received, and sent away with no assurances of 
tielp. And as far as I could discover, no attempt to seek 
relief was ever made by him who claims to hold the keys, to 
have the power to bind or loose at will. 

"I must confess I was staggered by the overwhelming 
array of evidence that confronted me. 

"It seemed wholly incredible that the pope would be so 
insensible to the needs of his flock that v/as being outraged 
and trampled under foot by a Protestant prince, unless there 
was an understanding between himself and that prince, out 
of which he hoped for larger returns for Catholicism, than the 
welfare, and prosperity of the flock of God in Belgium could 
possibly bring to it. 

"But my surprise increased when my investigations re- 
vealed the curious ending of the pope's peace propaganda. 
For near the close of the war, while the German armies were 
f^et in a position where peace, could it have been secured, 
would have been very advantageous to the Kaiser, saving him 
liis throne, and giving the nation advantages at the peace 
table it could not expect to have if the conflict continued till 
Germany would be forced to surrender. 

"The basis of my surprise was in the fact that after, the 
armistice was signed on the 11th of November, 1918, he who 
was so anxious for peace a few months before, was as silent 
•s the grave when it came! I searched the newspapers and 
magazines in vain, for any word of rejoicing, or call to thanks- 
giving from the pope to the Catholic church throughout the 
world, because peace had come! 



THE LOST LINE 147 

"If peace, for peace's sake, was what his holiness was 
so concerned over, its seemed incredible to me that some 
expression of thankfulness was not forthcoming when the 
bloodshed and carnage ceased, and millions of the sons of the 
church could return to peaceful pursuits, and the bruised 
and stricken world had opportunity to bind up it's ghastly 
wounds. 

"I could but feel that even though the successor of St. 
Peter may have been glad in his heart that the war was 
ended, there was a certain sense of honor that restrained him 
from giving expression to it through the press of the world, 
because it would have looked like betrayal, and savored of 
hypocracy to the deposed emperor. 

"It is regarded as a truism, that, 'there is honor among 
thieves' you know; and moreover, if the pope had expressed 
joy, over the signing of the armistice, the ex-Kaiser might 
have 'told on' him; and that would have been very embarrass- 
ing to his holiness to have the world know he was beaten at 
his own game. 

"I wish to say just one thing more, and then I am 
through; Do not expect the Church to make an open fair fight 
at the polls on the 15th of November. Their work will be 
underhanded. 

"And while I do not wish to discourage any of you 
brave men and women, I fear they will defeat us. 

"I had a conversation yesterday with a leading Jesuit 
whose headquarters is in Washington City, who had not the 
slightest idea I was in sympathy with this movement of the 
oppressed peoples of the earth for freedom. He did not tell 
me much, but he told me enough; for I read between the 
lines. I have come to know how papacy writes." 

The words of the aged priest only voiced what was in 
every heart in some measure. Therefore the spirit of gaiety 
that had characterized our visit at the executive mansion was 
largely lacking as we said our farewells preparatory to our 
departure. But a spirit of determination possessed every mem- 
ber of that little band of patriots as we parted that summer 
night and took to the air, the noses of our good ships pointed 
towards the stronghold of The Builders in the mountain fast- 
nesses far to the south. 



CHAPTER XIV. 
MIDNIGHT 

The National Convention was held according to schedule 
and was in every respect a success far beyond the dreams of 
the most enthusiastic leaders of The Industrial Party. 

The one o'clock edition of The Independent a leading 
daily of the City came out with the following comment on 
the convention: 

THE INDUSTRIAL PARTY HOLDS IT'S CONVENTION. 

The Industrial party opened it's first National Con- 
vention at ten o'clock today in a mammouth pavillion in 
the outskirts of this city. 

Chicago has been the seat of some great conventions, 
but it is admitted on all hands that the present gathering 
is the largest ever assembled in the city. The best travel- 
ed men among our citizens declare they have never seen 
so many airships together before! And it is perfectly 
safe to say that in it's personnel it is the most cosmo- 
politan collection of men and women we have ever look- 
ed upon. All races, kindreds, tribes, and tongues seem to 
be represented. As we understand it, it is the aim of 
this new born child in the political family, to change 
conditions industrially, and religiously, and in this they 
are most bitterly opposed by th. rty now in power, 
and by the church, which for a long time has had absolute 
control of all things religious and political. We under- 
stand two secret orders have been the leaders in this 
reform work for some years past, that heads up today 
in this mighty gathering; and it is also rumored that the 
church has had a price on the heads of the Presidents of 
these orders; one of whom is said to be a black man. 

We must confess we looked with curious eyes on 
the throngs of delegates and visitors in the pavillion 
today, knowing that these two men for whose apprehen- 
sion the church has offered fabulous sums, were in all 
probability right before our face. Neither could we 
suppress a smile when we were assured by the best 



THE LOST LINE 149 

authority, that the church has searched in vain for years 
for the places where these secret orders function. 

We are sure we do not exaggerate when we say 
that the political battle this year will be the hottest fight 
the world has ever seen; and there is not the slightest 
doubt in our mind that if there is a fair count of noses 
at the polls in November, the Industrial Party will win; 
for this wide awake reform movement, far outnumbers 
in voters those the church can muster. But we fear there 
will NOT be a fair fight; and if not, well, as we see it, 
let the church, and the party now in power, look well to 
their interests for no one among us can forecast what 
the outcome will be, if the fight is not fair. 

The utmost harmony prevailed throughout the conven- 
tion, and it was characterized by "The Evening Ledger," an- 
other leading daily of the city, as "the largest, most wide 
awake, and most enthusiastic gathering of men and women 
ever assembled in Chicago;'' and added, "This paper will sup- 
port The Industrial Party." 

The Convention continued for the greater part of foui 
days. Governor Sherwood of New Mexico being nommated 
for President of Columbia on the fifth ballot; three other 
states, South Dakota, Sonora, and Florida, having candidates 
in the field. 

The headquarters of The Builders, and The Avengers, 
were scenes of intense activity throughout the months of the 
campaign, for through these, The Industrial Party functioned. 

The Constituency of the party consisted so largely of 
the laboring classes and the millions of peons, that public 
meetings and great rallies were largely impossible, and wholly 
unnecessary; for The Industrial Party ^s work was not to win 
voters, but to instruct the millions in its ranks how to vote 
intelligently, when they came to exercise again the right of 
franchise so long neglected. 

Thus the days were so filled because of this herculean 
task the passage of time was not noted; days grew into 
weeks; and weeks into months; so, ere we were aware of it. 



150 THE LOST LINE 

the momentous day, election day, the day that was to decide 
the destiny of the world had dawned. 

The sun came up above the mountain tops on that memor. 
able morning, November 15th, 2023, as red as blood. 

This did not tend to relieve the feelings of gloom that 
possessed the brave men and women directing the fight for 
freedom. For in spite of the most strenuous efforts of the 
bravest shrewdest men in our ranks to discover something 
of the church's plan of battle, absolutely nothing had been 
learned, and this was not encouraging; for we knew our sleep- 
less foe had a plan, a well defined plan; and without any 
scruples whatsoever as to the unrighteousness of it, was car- 
rying out that plan in every polling place throughout the land. 

As the day advanced the strange murkiness of the atmos- 
phere increased till at noon the sun was completely obscured, 
and the lights in all buildings had to be turned on. 

So it v/as not to be wondered at, that the darkness that 
had so strangely settled down on the physical world was 
matched by the gloom that possessed the souls of our valiant 
leaders; for the wireless messages sent to us, told us our 
voters v/ere not getting to the polls; that even the brave and 
trusty leaders among the peons, on whom we knew full well, 
the success of our cause depended were not there, while the 
foe was out to a man, at some time during the day, boastful 
and arrogant. 

By four o'clock we were confident we were beaten. Some 
well ordered movement of cunning and trickery on the part 
of the church had defeated the cause of freedom, and set it 
back for a generation, possibly for a century; aye! maybe 
forever, if the church carried out her threat of taking the 
ballot from the toilers! 

We were now anxious for the delegates to arrive for a 
joint session of members of The Avengers and The Builders, 
which had been ordered to convene at midnight, which ever 
way the battle went. 

At ten o'clock these delegates began to arrive and on 
every lip there was the sad cry, "We are beaten! We have 
been tricked by the enemy !*' 

Then w^e were told in detail by some of the leaders what 



THE LOST LINE 151 

we had already surmised from reports, that every peon mas- 
ter, had, early that morning, called his slaves together and 
announced to them that they must stay away from the voting 
places on pain of having all food supplies cut off from them- 
selves and their dependent families. 

For without the mark the poor peons as v/e know, could 
not buy; and failing to obey their master's orders they would 
not buy for them. 

Then where a brave leader among these helpless toilers 
was suspected of insubordination, he was put under arrest 
on some trumped up charge, and held by some of the numer- 
ous deputy sheriff's that v/ere sworn in just before the polls 
opened, and who took turns in guarding these "prisoners'' and 
going to the polls to cast their ballots, while these thousands 
of our gallant leaders were thus forcibly prevented from cast- 
ing theirs. 

The joint meeting of The Builders and The Avengers 
opened at the stroke of twelve in the council chamber of The 
Builders, Senor E/[anchester again in the chair. A half cyni- 
cal smile played over his marvelously fine features; and when 
not speaking, or giving attention to business, the shapely 
fingers of his right hand toyed lovingly a plain unpainted 
box on the table at his side, 3x8 inches 

While I was puzzled over the spirit of gaiety what char- 
acterized the president of The Avengers, I was moved with 
a great pity for the delegates that filled the spacious council 
chamber to it's capacity; they seemed dazed by the defeat 
they had suffered. The av/ful gloom that shrouded the physi- 
cal world seemed to have entered into their souls as they 
faced the thought of abject slavery that seemed to be just 
ahead of them. 

"What a contrast!" I mused, * ^between this company 
and the brave enthusiastic assemblage that filled this cham- 
ber the night of July fifth." 

Senor Keeling was called for, ascended the platform 
and responded in a brief speech, that was received in a far 
different spirit from the first one it was my privilege to 
hear him deliver in the council chamber. 



152 THE LOST LINE 

"Fellow patriots how shall I address you in this sad hour 
of defeat and humiliation ? 

"You made a brave fight; you made a fair fight; but you 
have been robbed of a victory that would certainly have been 
yours, by one of the most dastardly unprincipled acts ever 
perpetrated since the world began! 

"The church knew there was only one weapon she could 
use successfully, and that was intimidation! How effectively 
she used it, is seen in the returns that are practically com- 
plete. 

"Armed with the pitiless weapon of intimidation, sh€ 
came to peon fathers whose children had prattled about their 
knees the night before, and said, "If you go to the polls and 
vote in this election, we will cut off all your food supplies"; 
and these fathers saw in imagination, their children hungry, 
then heard them crying for bread, then, saw them starving to 
death; and their otherwise brave father hearts quailed be- 
fore it. 

"But this even did not satisfy them. Their hatred of the 
downtrodden was not yet fully shown. Their fear that their 
unrighteous power was about to taken from them led them 
to lay unholy hands, hands already so guilty of blood that 
no agency in the universe could wash them clean, except 
they make restitution, on the shoulders of the leaders among 
the peons, men whom no threats would intimidate, and held 
them in the grip of he law, ^falsely so called', releasing them 
only when the polls were closed. 

"Pardon me brothers, but I can offer no remedy tonight 
for the terribe situation. Later after counciling with others, 
I may see a way out; but in the meantime I shall not 
despair.'^ 

When Senor Keeling finished, I saw the bodies of hun- 
dreds of men who had been leaning forward in expectancy, 
slump back in their seats and a great sigh escaped their 
lips as though hope, the last support of man, was forever 
dead in their breasts, and blank dispair had taken it's place. 

While Senor Keeling was speaking the President of The 
Avengers continually toyed with the little box on the table at 
his side. Once he raised the lid sufficiently, that I saw two 



THE LOST LINE 153 

phials filled with a colorless liquid. These phials seemed to 
be resting each in a receptacle just large enough to receive it, 
bored in the solid block of wood that composed the lov/er part 
of the box. 

All the cynicism had disappeared from his face, and in 
it's stead there played over his handsome features the fas- 
cinating smile of a victor. 

The painful silence that prevaded the council chamber 
for a brief moment, following Senor Reeling's speech, was 
broken by the clear resonant voice of a man addressing the 
chair as he sprang lightly to a seat about midway of the 
great room. 

"Senor Blackstone", responded the presiding officer, and 
we turned to see who it was who had the courage to address 
the assembly, in that extremely dark hour. 

Then from all parts of the chamber rose the cry "The 
Platform", "Please go to the Platform Senor Blackstone!" 

"That is Professor Blackstone'', confided Senora Keeling 
in my ear as the man walked with quick firm step to the 
platform. 

I was struck by his wonderful physique and noble bear- 
ing. About fifty years of age, clean shaven, and eyes dark 
as midnight and piercing as an eagle's. 

He wore a white silk skull cap that came well down to 
his eyebrows, an innovation that puzzled me, yet in no way 
did it detract from the wonderful appearance of the man. 

"He was professor of Political Economy 'n the University 
of Mississippi" continued my informant, "till his refusal to 
bow to the will of the Supreme Pontiff in a matter his con- 
science would not tolerate; so he lost his position, and one 
disaster after another overtook him till he was reduced to 
peonage. 

"Then some base fellows who had wealth and ^influence 
at Court' to further humiliate the man who dared to oppose 
the pope, seized him as he was returning to his humble home 
one dark night, carried him to a lonely building, and tatooed 
in his forehead in large figures the number 'G66' thus mock- 
ingly suggesting his abject submission to the pope'." 

"Senor Manchester and fellow patriots", he began; "it may 



154 THE LOST LINE 

seem like folly for me to address you in this the darkest 
hour in the history of the race for two thousand years, offer- 
ing any way of escape from this deep gulf into which this de- 
feat, brought about by trickery and perfidity unparalled, has 
plunged us. 

"Yet I believe there is a way out, and for months I have 
been thinking and planning in anticipation of this very 
crisis! 

"For I have been for several months, as many of you 
have also been, confident that by some master stroke of un- 
righteousness the church would defeat the efforts of the poor 
struggling milions of earth to arise out of the dust to the 
altitude of men and women. 

"Some of you know that after I lost my position our 
sixteen year old invalid daughter pined away and died of a 
broken heart. 

"My wife; under this added grief broke quickly and in a 
fevv weeks I laid her body beside that of our daughter far 
from ground consecrated by priestly hands, in that conse- 
crated by God himself in the fastness of the mountains. 

"Disguised as a mendicant friar I have diverted my mind 
by visting somie of the great cities of our country, and I 
heard from the lips of those high up in the hierarchy that we 
were to be defeated. But never a syllable did I hear as to 
how it was to be done. I do not believe that more than a 
dozen men besides the pope were in the secret till possibly 
the day before it's execution. 

"But as to the way out, of course I cannot go into de- 
tails; just give the barest outline and the two orders that 
have been the pioneers and leaders in this reform movement 
will need to take up and execute the plan. 

"Now as I see it the loss of the right of franchise, as 
the hierarchy threatens to take this from us, will not neces- 
sarily be a loss but a blessing in disguise; for our inactivity 
in politics and our making no demonstrations of any kind 
will lead them to think we are completely cowed and have 
lain down for good and all. 

"First we must redouble our diligence in educating; and 
in this we must educate men for the ministry so they can 



THE LOST LINE 156 

take up that great work successfully. And we must educate 
men and women for teachers. 

*'This special preparatory work should go on for at least 
five years. For the first four years every toiler and peon 
should under a specified plan contribute to a fund as much 
money as his circumstances will allow. 

^'During the fifth year, and especially during the last 
three months of it, a little more food than is necessary should 
be purchased, especially the non-perishable kinds, and stored 
against the day of need. 

*'Then before the fifth year is ended a delegated assembly 
should be called by The Builders and The Avengers, and these 
representatives of the toiling millions should form The In- 
dustrial Republic. 

''This will be in perfect keeping with what took place 
once before on this continent, when in 1776 the 13 original 
colonies broke away from English rule and formed The 
American Republic. 

"It will be necessary of course for us to possess our- 
selves of arms and munitions as may be determined by those 
leading the movement, or possess ourselves of the means of 
access to the places where such arms and munitions are 
stored. 

"Then as a duly organized government we will be able to 
treat with those who would hold us in servitude. 

"But having taken all the steps outlined, it will be neces- 
sary for us to go one step further and seize all means of 
transportation and public utilities, not to confiscate them, but 
to hold hem till our government is recognized as in au- 
thority, and we take over the rule, to deal in fairness and 
justice with all the inhabitants of the whole land'.'' 

When the speaker finished, pandemonium broke loose; but 
it was a pandemonium of joy. Men wept on each other's 
necks, and shouts of "Long live The Industrial Republic*' 
filled the room. 

During this demonstration of joy that lasted for several 
minutes, I noted with increasing surprise that the Chairman 
manifested only amusement at the marvelous scene before 
him; and continued to toy with the little unpainted box, lift- 



156 THE LOST LINE 

ing the lid and taking out one of the phials and holding 
it between himself and the light. 

As he did this I was enabled to see it seemed to be her- 
metically sealed, as if its contents must be carefully pre- 
served. 

Placing it back in the receptacle made for it in the box, 
he closed the lid, and covering the box with his left hand, 
began to pound the table vigorously with the gavel and to call 
for silence. 

When order had been restored, and the vast audience 
had once more seated itself Senor Harcourt arose, and was 
immediately recognized by the chair; and at the insistence of 
the delegates ascended the platform.. 

I had seen him as the man for the hour on other occas- 
ions, but never before had he seemed the very embodiment of 
strength and courage, of wisdom and hope, as he did that 
November night standing among a people who had suffered 
such an unholy defeat, encouraging them to give them- 
selves for another battle, no one could tell how long, or 
fierce! 

^Tellow Patriots!" the fearless friend of the oppressed 
began, "As Senor Blackstone has well said, it seems like the 
sheerest folly for one to try to point the way out of the 
chaotic state in which the defeat of the millions of the lowly 
in their fight for freedom leaves the world. 

"For the situation tonight is as if an unprecedented 
storm had swept the earth with its devastating power, till 
everything man has built and done has been destroyed leav- 
ing it a veritable wilderness; and we who have suffered the 
most, must assume the gigantic task of rebuilding that which 
it had taken thousands of years to produce. 

"This is no time to point out the causes that brought 
about this m'oral and civil catastrophe. But there is one 
cause that as I contemplate it, saddens me almost beyond 
consolation, and that is the failure of Protetstantism. Of 
course anyone who knows anyhing of the history of the 
last two hundred years, knows that the Church was making 
use of every intrigue, every unscrupulous means, every poli- 
tical movement into which it could thrust its unclean hand 



THE LOST LINE 157 

to bring about the conditions that obtain in the world today; 
yet Protestantism, if it had be-en true to its Magna Carta, that 
was put into its hands at the time when the Reformation be- 
came a reality, could have prevented all this. But she despis- 
ed her birth right as did Esau; and in her carelessness lost 
out of her Bill of Rights, just one line; yet thet ONE LINE 
was to the moral and social fabrics of the world, to religious 
and civic freedom, what the keystone is to the arch, 'FOR BY 
GRACE ARE YE SAVED THROUGH FAITH; AND THAT 
NOT OF YOURSELVES; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD\ 

''But the one ray of light my countrymen, that breaks 
through the dark clouds that hang lowering over the earth, 
is that this 'lost line' recovered from the debris, and preached 
faithfully to the down trodden will again bring in hope; will 
once more raise peon, and prince to the stature of men, and 
bring about the regeneration of society, as it before rescued 
it from the sin, superstition, and thraldom of the Dark Ages. 

"It will of necessity be a slow and tedious process; but 
the truth of salvation by simple faith in Jesus, will accom- 
plish it. 

"We must Christianize and educate. The full gospel 
must be faithfully preached to all classes, not only to the 
submerged toilers, but we must invade the very camp of the 
enemy in the spirit of Our Master, so that when the peaceful 
revolution of which Senor Blackstone speaks, comes, there 
will be leaven sufficient, at work in the mass of humanity, 
to enable us to use our liberty as not abusing it. 

"There are twenty-five priests of God now ready to begin 
the work of Evangelization, and others write me they are 
intending to join the ranks of those who would emancipate 
the millions from ignorance and sin. 

"Then I am sure that hundreds will come to the battle 
out of the ranks of the peon millions, who with the instruction 
that we can give through the schools organized already, and 
those we must organize, will become mighty heralds of the 
truth, and we must expect !'' 

At this point the chairman arose, suave and smiling. I 
had never seen him so kingly as he appeared that moment. 
The strange subtle power I knew he possessed, seemed to 



158 THE LOST LINE 

grip me and the assembly that sat breathless before him — 
even Father Harcourt ceased speaking, and stood awaiting 
orders. 

"You will pardon me I am sure Senor Harcourt," he be- 
gan, "for I note that it is now half past one by yonder clock. 
So it is too late for further deliberations here, for we will 
have something to do when morning breaks. 

**Do not misunderstand me please Father Harcourt, I am 
not calling your speech in question as such, but I am cer- 
tain when I have finished you will see this is not the time for 
discussion, but rather time for us to be making preparation 
for return to our vaious places, for as I have already inti- 
mated, there will be something for us to do there when morn- 
ing dawns." 

All this time he held the little box in his left hand and 
with graceful gestures enforced what he was saying with 
is right hand. 

"Many of you will remember," he continued, "that on the 
night of the fifth of July, I announced from this platform 
that the Avengers were one with the Builders, with the excep- 
tion that the Avengers held in reserve one weapon, one not 
held by the Builders — Violence! but that this weapon would 
not be used only as a last resort — " 

When he said that, cold chills shook my body for I remem- 
bered July fifth, and for me the mystery of the little box was 
completely cleared away. 

"Senor Harcourt", he resumed, "you have rightly la'd 
the blame for this wreck and ruin, this chaotic state of world 
affairs, at the door of Protestantism. 

"God made her the depositum of Civil and religious liberty 
when he committed to her the truth of Justification by Simple 
faith in a Crucified and risen Lord. But she became wise 
above what is written, left the simplicity that is in Christ, 
for the baleful error, "Salvation by Works"; The false teach- 
ing that brought on the Dark Ages. So that by ignoring in 
pulpit and religious press, that truth that delivered the world 
in Luther's time from Spiritual and intellectual bondage, she 
has let the nations slip down into something worse than the 
darkest days of the Dark Ages. 



THE LOST LINE 169 

"But let no one think that I mitigate in the least the part 
our relentless foe played in bringing the world where it is 
tonight. 

"She took advantage of every failure Protestantism 
made; she played up the weakness of every political party 
and unscrupulous politician who would sell the liberties of 
his country for "the Catholic vote/' and the Church always 
had a Vote* to deliver to those who would do her nefarious 
work, and give her the power and advantages he craved. 

"Many of you will recall that I said here on this platform 
the night of July fifth Sve would not use violence if we were 
defeated in a fair fight/ 

"The Industrial party made a fair fight. Our foe DID 
NOT FIGHT FAIR but used methods absolutely devoid of 
any marks of religion, to say nothing of civilization. Held 
men away from the polls that would not be intimidated by her 
threats, under arrest on false charges. There is positively 
no hope that such methods will not always be used. There- 
fore I declare to you as the head of The Avengers, that the 
hour of triupmh for the downtrodden has come. 

As the speaker finished this pronouncement, the smile 
had left his face and his eyes seemed literally to flash fire. 
A stillness prevaded the council chamber that was painful; 
all that could be heard was the suppressed breathing of stun- 
ned men. 

Opening the little box he removed one of the phials and 
held it up and turned it about in the light so all could see, 
then he continued. "You will recall I think, that I said on 
that night in July, 'that if the use of Violence became neces- 
sary The Avengers were so organized we could rid ourselves 
of our oppressors in a single night.' It is by this^ he said; 
tapping the phial lightly with the fore finger of his rght 
hand. "This is the work of years of experiment by our 
chemists. One of these broken or left unsealed just inside 
the door of the house of an oppressor will carry out our 
plans. 

"We come to this, not in a spirit of revenge, but as an op- 
pressed nation rises up and makes war on its oppressors. The 
movement was to begin at midnight, but midnight is reached 



160 THE LOST LINE 

on the Atlantic Coast some hours before it falls here, so as 
you look at the clock and note that it is a quarter to two 
o'clock you can see where we are in this uprising and that we 
should soon take to the air for there will be something for us 
to do in the communities where we belong/' 

Every eye turned instinctively to the clock, slowly but 
surely the hand was moving towards the figure "two." 

I felt myself growing deathly sick as I realized the 
rising Sun would look down on a world turned into a vast 
morgue overnight. 

The culpubility of those who by neglect on the one hand 
and intrigue and despotism on the other, that had brought 
this people to the desperation, they would employ such des- 
perate means, bore in upon me, for I was certain the orders 
from the Avengers' Headquarters had already been in execu- 
tion for hours, and were being carried out in every town, 
and city, and country place when the midnight hour had 
struck. 

I felt I must get into tlie open air, and staggered to my 
feet and made my way slowly to the door, followed by Senora 
Keeling; but as I asked the privilege of passing out, one 
of the powerful bailffs seized me roughly by the arm saying, 
"No, Senorita; you do not go out of this Council Chamber 
till the meeting is over!" 

Then I awoke! The morning sun was flooding my own 
bedroom in the dear old home in Mexico City! The fountain 
was still splashing in the garden as it was when I lay down 
on my couch the night before. My faithful maid had her lov- 
ing hand on my arm saying, "My Dear Child, you must have 
been having a fearful nightmare! your flesh is cold and you 
are trembling like one in an ague. 

Then she wiped the great beads of perspiration from my 
face and brow, and by gentle words led me to know it was 
all a dream! 



\_b\ir 



(LJ 



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